


Enderfriend

by Blackholesun321, Mary_Rae



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ender Dragon Ranboo ( Video Blogging RPF), Evil Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Goat Hybrid Toby Smith | Tubbo, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Major Character Injury, Mental Anguish, Minecraft, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Royalty, Sick Character, Traditions, enderman ranboo, endermen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:07:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 35,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28148082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackholesun321/pseuds/Blackholesun321, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mary_Rae/pseuds/Mary_Rae
Summary: Ranboo, the prince of the ender dimension. Was currently on vacation. His mother did not want him to leave, almost grounding him to his room as he packed a bag. But he pointed out that as a prince, he needs to experience other lands. And other politics to rule the people of his realm fairly.On his holiday, he met Tommy half dead in a demolished camp. And decided that he was taking him home to the End.But in doing so, he sets in motion a series of events that unveiled a dark plot for the sake of life itself, and puts the overworld in danger.Now in Portuguese: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28509411
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Cara | CaptainPuffy/Niki | Nihachu, Dave | Technoblade & Phil Watson, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed | Skeppy & Darryl Noveschosh | BadBoyHalo
Comments: 620
Kudos: 1698





	1. A Royal Deal

Ranboo, the prince of the ender dimension. And was currently on vacation. His mom did not want him to leave, almost grounding him to his room as he packed a bag. But he pointed out that as a prince, he needs to experience other lands. And other politics to rule the people fairly. The ender dragon relented at his pleading. Promising not to interfere with what he does while on his travels. But while exploring new biomes, he did notice a lot more enderman than usual. According to the villagers at least. 

He first arrived at L’manburg with the hope to ‘Finally’ meet a ruler of another realm. Maybe even learn new political moves for his own future rule. The villagers were nice, but the Iron Golems seemed to hate him. After one threw him into a lake, he avoided them from then on. He was counting his blessing that L’manburg had none. Maybe because of the high hybrid population. He soon made a house and interacted with the current ruling president. Almost desperate to learn about democracy and to know the full story of the past rulers. Tubbo was not interested in talking about the past. But Ghostbur, who was a past president, told him all he remembered. He was even given books from the sewer library for him to read. He would have gone down himself. But he was not fond of water. At all. 

He soon became interested in the one person he heard about over and over, Tommy. Tommy was in the books, and was spoken highly of by Tubbo and Ghostbur. Apparently, he was a great soldier and a fantastic leader. He inspired people and in fact helped make the nation of L’manburg! Ranboo tore up L’manburg to try to find him. But to his dismay, Tommy was evidently exiled. For terrorism no less! That just made Ranboo want to meet the man even more.

Ranboo decided to visit Tommy in exile. He ‘had’ to know the full story. Everyone seemed to have a different opinion on what happened. And tubbo refused to talk about it. He asked Goastbur for help, but all he did was throw blue at him. Ranboo sprinted away, just in case the past president ran out of blue and would throw water at him as a replacement blue. When he ran into Philza, he explained him his dilemma. Philza told him to follow Dream, the admin of this smp. According to Dream, he would usually drop off food to the exiled every so often. That is how Philza found Tommy once. With that knowledge, Ranboo was off to stalk Dream. 

\-------------------------------------------------

Once he got to the campsite, after a very nightmare-inducing boat ride. He hid in the trees. He wanted to talk to Tommy alone about the history he lived through. Maybe he could find his side of the story of his exile! Plus it would be rude to interrupt Dream giving him food. But in an unpredictable turn of events, Dream made Tommy put all of his items in a hole. Said hole was filled with TNT and was blown. Ranboo was shocked. Dream was not helping Tommy at all. This was the opposite of help. He continued to watch as Dreamand Tommy argued and Dream destroyed every single one of his possessions. Then Dream blew up Tommy’s whole campsite. Leaving Tommy to live in the middle of a crater. Ranboo feels like he just saw something he was not meant to see. 

Ranboo walked over to Tommy. Seeing him sitting in the dirt, head in his hands. He waited in front of Tommy until he looked up to him. Deciding just to get it over with, he introduced himself. “Hello Tommy, my name is Ranboo.”

“Go away”

“I do not want to,” he replied “I’ve come too far to not talk to you. May I ask you a’ question?”

Tommy shrugged at the hybrid, “Can’t stop you” Ranboo smiled and sat down next to Tommy. Tommy seemed to be unfazed as a complete stranger sat next to him in a hole. Ranboo looked around at the remains of the campsite. Digging around in his pockets and pulled out some cooked salmon he packed for his trip. He handed Tommy some to the teens’ confusion. He accepted the food and ate it with the manners of a raccoon. Ranboo copied him, it would be odd to have different table manners than your host his mom always said. After the meal, they sat in silence until Ranboo asked his question.

“How often does that happen?”

“What happens?”

“Dream destroying everything.” Tommy’s back stiffened, he seemed to turn over the statement in his mind. Ranboo opened his mouth to apologize and change his question. But Tommy answered him.

“For the past month or two, he kept on coming by almost every other day. And every time, he would destroy all my tools and food. And whatever was on my person.” He seemed to curl into himself. “No matter what was on me. It was always to be destroyed.”

“I want to help you Tommy.” Ranboo was surprised by his words. But as he thought about it, he did want to help Tommy. This teen had nothing. It dawned on Ranboo that Dream was a tyrant. This was no way to treat the exiled. Or anyone. He looked into Tommy’s eyes, they were filled with shock. As if he could not process that anyone would want to help him. That steeled something within Ranboo as he vowed to help Tommy escape from Dream. “We can go away from this place. For a short period of rest, because you obviously need some sort of break.”

Tommy held up his hands, “I do not want to be difficult-” 

“Oh Tommy,” Ranboo smiled, somewhat excited to inspire someone without relying on his powers for once. And also making a great ally. “Why be difficult, when with just a little more effort, you can be impossible? Let me help you, let me make sure you are safe for once in your life.” As an after a thought, he decided to sweeten the deal. “My mom would love to have a friend come live with me in the castle. In a realm where not even Dream could get to.”

Tommy looked to the prince, processing what ways just suddenly offered. And what was implied by the stranger before him. He looked to the hole of what once was his campsite “Although I am prepared for martyrdom, I prefer that it would be postponed” he took Ranboo’s hand and shook it. As soon as he did he laughed. He laughed and laughed and started to cry. The boy wept like he accepted something he was trying to deny for a long time. He curled onto the ground and wailed. Digging his fingers into the dirt. His sobs were left unbroken until he finally stopped. 

Ranboo looked down at the teen Processing what he had just witnessed. As gently as he could, Ranboo picked the teen up into his arms. Tommy wasn't asleep. His eyes were open, but there was nothing behind them. But something was swirling in those dull blue depths, the undercurrent of fear and exhaustion that seemed to be forever present scarred into the boy’s soul. It dawned on Ranboo what he was holding. This was a hollowed shell of a child, not the fierce soldier he had heard stories about, ‘Tommy the Hero.’ Who fought a god and won, the soldier who leads army’s and defeated monsters and villains alike, someone from a childhood fairy tale. Who was also the man who carved out a nation twice within his lifetime. Who became a terrorist exiled in the middle of peace. Ranboo had believed every story, but all he saw was this was a kid who wanted a family. A boy who gave everything his all, and in the end, had nothing to show for it. His sunken cheeks gave his face a severe sharpness, bagged eyes leaving him looking years older than he should. He was so much smaller than he seemed, tight shoulders and bruises gave Tommy the look of someone much weaker. His body was covered with bandages and dirt. But now, without his shoes, without the crushing tenseness of his shoulders. He looked like a scared child in his arms, and God he was. And for once, Ranboo was afraid.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dirt block held in a pair of dark purple hands. He looked up and saw one of the endermen who always followed him, but stayed away. Probably sensing his need for space as an order to keep their distance, but now all they saw was their prince holding a half-dead human. A half-dead human they have most likely seen hurt more times than Ranboo could imagine. 

The enderman held out the dirt block like an offering to the prince. And Ranboo knew the tradition well. It was an ancient ritual of accepting help on what was to be built upon the blocks that were offered. It would have been an insult to ignore it without proper hand gestures. Trying to get his point across to the enderman, Ranboo reached out and accepted the dirt, and placed it on the ground and laying Tommy on it. Holding his back as Tommy sat on top of the dirt block, staring at his exposed toes through the holes in his socks. He knew that word would get back to his mother faster this way than politely asking. Gossip spread faster than fire sometimes. 

He heard a ‘poof’ signaling that more endermen had come to see what the prince was declaring. For the first time, a prince has declared an enderfriend. The ritual came from when all there was in the End was a handful of blocks. To build a place for another to stand signified that they were publicly pronounced as a brother to the enderpeople. When Ranboo looked up, he was shocked by how many there were. Some even offered more blocks. As he stepped forward to accept the gifts, some poofed away and placed the blocks around Tommy. Making a makeshift chair of dirt around him. Others had wood and tried to re-make the campsite. 

Ranboo picked up Tommy from his dirt chair and started walking. From Goastbur’s stories, there was a piglin that helped in the last revolution named Technoblade. There were wanted posters all over L’manburg as well. All Ranboo needed to do was to find him. Philza mentioned that he lived in some snowy biome. So he walked to the mountains. Maybe from that height, he could find the cottage he was warned to stay away from. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------- 

Techno looked at the pair on his porch. “I am sorry, but my doctor says I can't have arrows enter my body at any time. I assume the same is for you as well, so I do have to ask for you to leave my property”

Ranboo stepped forward, pressing a hand against the door to keep it open. His other arm holding Tommy close to him. “Techno please help us. Dream wants to kill Tommy.!” He pleaded with the piglin hybrid. Trying to persuade him to help.

“I know how you feel. Being hunted is not fun.” the piglin paused and Ranboo felt hope swell in his chest, only for it to be immediately dashed. “But I do not care” 

“Techno, please. I don’t know who to turn to. Please let us stay here until Tommy recovers, and then we will leave you be.” Techno looked at Tommy. Collapsed in his arms covered in mud and burns. Starvation was evident and his clothes were practically rags. But something made Techno pause.

“ You said Dream is hunting you?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry, but can’t help you.”

“Why?”

“There's this thing called life, and I'm addicted to it. Tommy and I may have been close once. but I'm not taking a arrow for you kids.”

“Please Techno-“ if Ranboo had been taught anything during his time as ruling prince, it would have been this; ‘a prince never begs.’ He didn’t think his teachers had ever had to face the threat of a god, with a streak of sadism and a policy for no mercy. So he begged, if it meant his friend was not going to die to a power hungry mad man. He’d been a thousand times more.

“Listen, here’s some advice. Whenever you need a helping hand, you can find one on the end of your arm.”

“I will give you dragons breath.” 

“Huh”

“In this realm, I know it is impossible to go to the end. But I can.” Ranboo knew he had one last shot for help, and he was going to use it. “I can go to the end and get you a stack of dragon’s breath. Imagine your leverage above all others if you had the one impossible thing.”

“I am no fool. A claim like that needs proof”

Ranboo nodded and took his hand off the door to check his pockets. He always has a bottle or two on him just for good luck. He never dared to use it. Then pulled out a little bottle for Techno to examine. It was snatched out of his hand as the piglin scrutinized it with a keen eye. Said eye was full of surprise and shock at what was presented to him. Ranboo felt like he was making some sort of piglin trade. But with something higher than gold and the eyes of his people on the line. Techno grunted in satisfaction and opened the door. He gestured for them to come in with his hand clasped around the pink glowing bottle. He eyed Ranboo with an air of questioning as he kept glancing at the bottle in disbelief. 

Ranboo laid Tommy down in front of the fireplace. He looked to the enderman sitting in a boat. He wondered why Techno had one of his people in his home. But he just shrugged, must be some Piglin hospitality ritual. He filed that new little tidbit away for later when he would invite Piglins over to his castle one day. The end would profit from a trade agreement with the nether. He was moving to take off his coat for the boy, but Techno tossed him a blanket. “Thanks.” 

“A deal is a deal.”

“It will take me a while to get-“

“Look, take your time on that. Just tell me what is going on?”

“Why do you care now?”

“Peace is one thing, but leverage,” he held up his mother’s breath for both of them to see “is another.”

“Fair.” Ranboo sighed as he planned out his words carefully. If he did just make some form of deal with the piglin, he would have to hold up his end of the deal. And for the better, it should be sooner rather than later. He edited out the Endermen knowing that Tommy was now an Enderfriend, he had no desire to ever let that fact be public knowledge. But at this point, he could tell that Techno may have guessed already. The enderman in the boat was placing dirt blocks around Tommy. Techno was watching with mild amusement as he listened to Ranboo. “I went to visit Tommy. I wanted to ask him about the history of L’manburg. Once I got to the campsite, I saw him and Dream. I hid in the trees as I watched Dream destroy every single one of his possessions. Then they got into a fight. Dream then proceeded to blow up everything, leaving Tommy to live in the middle of a crater with the remains of a campsite around him. Tommy informed me that and for the past month or two he kept on coming by. And every time, he would destroy all his tools and food.”

Techno mulled over Ranboo’s words, before finally saying “People like Dream are the reasons we have middle fingers.” 

“I am inclined to agree.” Ranboo continued on, “I wish to help Tommy and take him away from this place. For a short period of rest because he needs some sort of break. But he is not in good health for me to travel with him. My plan is a simple one. Dream saw me leave for the campground, so I do need to go back soon. I could inform him that Tommy ran away. Make a trail in an opposite direction. Tommy stays here to heal while I prepare your end of the deal.”

Techno smiled at the plan, maybe the idea of lying to a leader gave his plan just enough edge for the man to agree to it. Ranboo looked to Edward, still siting in his boat. Staring at the prince with a simple dirt block in his hands now. Techno looked at the enderman with an odd look, as is trying to figure out how the enderman got that much dirt in his home. Ranboo left with a nod and left for L’manburg. He had a lot of planning to do. Many things to do in secret. But knowing Tommy would be safe with Techno and Edward eased his worries. Once he was out of the house, he scanned the tree line for any endermen. And was shocked to see a sea of purple eyes looking back at him. He ran to the crowd hidden in the trees. Once in the forest he turned to look at the cottage, and nearly had a heart attack upon seeing the roof full of endermen. “And I thought my mother was overprotective” he joked mostly to himself with a little laugh. He then turned and bolted back to L’manburg. He had to go and lie to Dream now. Oh God, he was going to die.

\---------------------------------------------------------

“Dream!” Ranboo ran over and stopped in front of the man. He put his acting lessons to work. Making his voice as frantic as possible. While also calm enough to get the lie across. He chose his words carefully to not alert the Hunter to his lie. “I come before you, To tell you something I know nothing about.” Maybe he chose a bit too carefully. 

“What?”

“Tommy ran away,” Ranboo gave a half-truth. He ignored the imagined glare coming from Dream’s masked face. “I went to his campsite, and it was a crater. I checked his tracks, and it seems like he went into a boat and rowed away.”

“Thank you for the information Ranboo, I will go hunt him down”

“Why do you need to hunt him down? He is exiled. You should only care that he does not come back.” Dream started chopping a tree down for wood. More than likely to follow Ranboo’s false claim of Tommy fleeing by water. “Dream, just leave him be-”

“It's cute how you think I'm listening-” Dream started to rant, “Tommy is a menace. He has no place in peace. He is a soldier, and will always crave violence. He founded L’manburg by violence against me. He will end this land by violence. He needs to always be watched. For the sake of this land.”

Ranboo put up his hands and backed away. Leaving Dream to stew in his words as he prepared to hunt poor Tommy. The tree finally fell and Dream took his anger out on the next one. Ranboo decided to never tell Dream anything about the end. If he knew, then his people, or by hell his own mother, might- no would’ be harmed by this power-hungry man. Leaving, he started to make a list of items he needed to get for Tommy to live in the end. Humans living in the End did not have a track record. But he let that thought slide. He now had an Enderfriend to escort to the end.


	2. The Enderfriend must be protected.

Once Ranboo left, Techno got rid of the dirt the Enderman put around Tommy. He wrapped Tommy in the blanket and added more wood to the fire. His head filled with thoughts about the whole situation. The bottle of dragon's breath had a heavy weight in his pocket. He took the breath out and looked at it. With the pink air swarming over itself, it seemed like dragons were even at war in themselves.

Techno looked over at Tommy and wondered what happened in his exile. What Ranboo told him he could understand why Tommy was in this state. It seemed like Dream was trying to break Tommy. And from the look of it, he succeeded. Looking out the window, Techno turned over all the information about Dream over in his head. Why he would block of the nether was beyond his thoughts. But as far as Techno was concerned, as soon as he was well, the sooner the stack of dragon’s breath would be his. The idea of Ranboo having access to the end when Dream himself blocked it off. The idea that something so forbidden could be in his grasp, oh, what a temptation. Call him a sinner, but the deal seemed too easy.

A while later, a green dot was seen at the edge of the tree line. Techno stood up from his seat and grabbed Tommy. If Dream saw him, the deal was off. And a piglin always kept their deals. With no time to head into the hidden basement, he crafted a chest and placed Tommy inside. Adding some wool to the bottom in the hope to keep him warm away from the fire. The enderman looked on from the boat. And to Techno’s eye, it seemed to be overly focused on the door. 

“Underestimate me Dream,” Techno muttered under his breath as he eyed the man out the window in the snow with contempt. “That’ll be fun.” He closed the chest and after a moment of thought he threw his cloak over it in the vain hope of Dream not seeing it. A plan popped into his head. Not wasting a moment he grabed a drinking horn by the brewing stand. After a moments' hesitation seized a large flask of home-made honey beer, and he sat by the fire. He made it on a whim one day. Just to see if he could. It was a boring process, but for once he was glad for its creation.

Dream slams open the door just as Techno sat down and started to pour himself a bit of honey beer. Techno looked to Dream as the liquor started to slowly fill his horn. Giving an air of a man in a peaceful moment as Dream stomped over to the piglin. “Dream has it ever occurred to you that my alone time is sometimes for everyone’s safety?” he quipped as he locked eyes with the man, doing his best not to look over at the chest. Silence loomed over the men as Techno took a small sip.

“Where is Tommy?”

“As far as I care to remember, he is exiled far from me.”

“I am going to look around.”

“Dream, do you see that door? I want you on the other side of it.” Dream just huffed and started to open chests. Techno looked on as he sipped his beer. He did not want to start any quarrel while Tommy was hidden so close. Taking note of what chests were opened, he would have to sort them later. Dream seemed to be making more of a show to piss off the piglin. But stopped as soon as he saw the enderman in the boat.

Dream cocked his head. “Why do you have an enderman here?”

“I'm an idiot and I needed company”

Dream scoffs. “A blood god like you not killing something?” He scoffs “For company? I don't believe it,” he took out his sword and locked eyes with Techno. “but in a way, I understand” and lazily slashed at the enderman. Techno was shocked, but never let it show. But his grip on his horn tightened. The Enderman’s screams seemed to be never-ending. Dream seemed to not mind the screams and continued on to look in the chests. He went to the chest next to the potion stand. And stared at the cloak covering it. But as soon as he reached out to open the chest with Tommy in it, the enderman screams suddenly became frantic. Techno stood up at the sound, all his senses told him to draw his sword. Dream suddenly seemed to notice that something was wrong and summoned his own again.

Then something happened that shocked Techno. The screaming echoed from outside. There was scratching and pounding on the roof. Dust started to rain down from the rafters. Techno looked out and saw a mob of endermen, and the mob looked angry. They seemed to be screaming to the same frantic sounds as the lone enderman inside. The windows were ripped apart, a cold wind blew in putting out torches and turning the fire to embers. And to Techno’s horror, a wall was torn apart before his very eyes. Letting a stream of endermen flow into his home. Dream let out a war cry and started to attack. Hacking at any of the mob that came close. But as many as Dream chopped down, more seemed to spawn in. Forcing the hunter to back up on the chest. As soon as he did, the mob became almost homicidal. The screams reaching a crescendo that no doubt echoed throughout the mountain range. But techno noticed something in the chaos. The endermen seemed to be after one thing and one thing only. The chest that held Tommy. The wall behind Dream crumbled under the hands of the mob. A swarm of inky arms reached in and snatched Dream away, his yells joined their crescendo of chaos. Techno dropped his sword in shock as he watched the chest was picked up and taken away by the mob. As soon as the mob got what they seemed to be after, the rest of the endermen teleported away.

Techno looked around at the aftermath. The wind was blowing down sawdust and pebbles from the remains of his house. The ground was covered in broken stone and shattered wood. There were only 2 walls gone from the conflict. One wall was completely gone and a chunk of another one seemed to be ground to dust. Techno took his horn and chugged down the rest of his drink, not caring about the rubble in it. Looking out at a hole in the wall, he saw Dream lying on the ground. Surrounded by the eyes of the mob he killed. The Hunter was breathing heavily, the mask was askew, but still on. His breath was seeping out of the mask’s eyeholes. his eyes glazed over with heavy confusion. As they locked eyes, Techno saw that for once they were on the same page. They both had no idea what happened. 

“I may be a Blood God in your eyes Dream, but whom have you angered?”

That seemed to snap Dream out of his daze and made him sit up. Some form of anger was now in his eyes. Looking around at the rubble, he took his sword and tried to crush one of the eyes. But missed. Dream let out a yell of frustration to Techno’s mild entertainment. As they locked eyes again, Techno held up his horn. Silently inviting the man for a drink. But that just angered the Hunter even more.

Standing up Dream yelled at techno from the snow. “You’re an idiot!”

“Hey!” Techno bellowed back, making Dream falter in his own anger, “My father did not raise an idiot. A psychotic blood-thirsty war-lord, yes. But not an idiot.” 

Dream seemed to be at the end of his rope. He stormed into the house from the hole. Techno tuned out Dreams insults as he silently pored out 2 drinking horns with Honey Beer. He had to hand it to Dream, when he got angry, he got creative. When Dream ran out of words to bellow, he became silent and glared at Techno.

Techno only held out the second drinking horn. The light scent of honey filled his snout. With a small smile, “In a world like ours Dream, you take any compliment you can get.”

That enraged Dream. Knocking away the drinking horn and storming out of the home. 

“I will find Tommy, and when I do, you will pay for it.”

“Dream” Techno called out. Making the man pause and face the piglin. “Answer me this: Tommy is in exile, him being far away should be for your benefit. Why are you hunting him?”

“Tommy is a menace. He has no place in peace. He is a soldier, and will always crave violence-”

“It sounds like you are describing Sapnap.”

“What?”

“If I remember correctly, Sapnap has started more conflicts than Tommy. He is the reason nobody has any pets any more,” he took a sip from his drink. Letting his words process in Dreams mind. “In my opinion, you exiled the wrong person.” he took another drink as the eyes were filling up with rage. “So tell me Dream, why strong arm an entire nation to exile one person?”

Dream sputtered and repeated, “Tommy is a menace-”

“I am not arguing that Tommy is a good person. He has flaws, just like Sapnap. I just wan-”

“Leave Sapnap out of this!”

“Why?” Techno felt like he needed to get to the bottom of Dream’s ire. This man said one thing and did another to those closest to him. That was a red flag in Techno’s book. 

Dream seemed to become incredibly frustrated, before screaming out, “He is my family!”

“You have no family Dream.” the statement left Dream in a state of shock. Techno pressed on. Seeing as he got onto a forbidden topic, he wanted to salt the man’s wound. “As far as anyone on this realm knows, you and Sapnap are only friends. In fact, last I remember Sapnap, Karl, and Quackity are together. You are alone. Gossip says you don’t care about anything in this realm. Much less anyone.” Dream’s eyes held pure anger. Like Techno just poked at a bees’ nest with a hot poker. Unmoved Techno took another sip, some loose pieces of information now connecting. Dream just growled and stalked out of the house. Techno just drank on.

“Jealousy is a disease Dream.” he said in the empty house. “Get well soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the Endermen saw the Green Hunter run to the Piglins wooden Bastion. The Endermen guarding on the roof alerted the Mob in the forest. 

The Mob assembled around The Bastion. Looking in from the windows. Watching as the Piglin put the Enderfriend in the chest. As soon as the sound of an Endermen cry was heard, they all stilled. But they started to break the walls of the Bastion as the cry became a plea. When the wall fell, they swarmed the Green one.

The Enderfriend must be protected.

When they started falling by the diamond blade, they continued to swarm. As soon as The Green one stood on the chest with the Enderfriend in it, they cried out. 

The Enderfriend must be protected. 

The mod demolished the wall behind the Hunter. Pulling him through the hole away from the chest. The Hunter let out a war cry as he fell out of the hole. The Endermen took great pleasure in trampling him when he was down. They picked up the chest and fled the Bastion. 

The Enderfriend must be protected. 

As soon as the mob left the Bastion. They hid the chest in the forest and opened it. They saw the Enderfriend. Huddled in the chest. Unfocused eyes not seeing anything. One enderman reached out and poked at his cheek. Another teleported in and placed more wool in, mimicking the piglin. The Enderfriend did not seem to reject the gift. Not to be outdone, more enderman came and put different blocks in. Happy that their gifts of help were excepted.

The Enderfriend will be protected.

Once they saw that the Green hunter fled from the piglin’s Bastion, they closed the chest and walked back. Once they placed the Enderfriend back they gave the piglin gold and left. Proud of their actions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the Endermen walked back in with the chest, Techno poured the rest of the beer in his horn and looked on. The day was already strange enough. Once they placed the chest back where it was. They then placed blocks of gold around him. Techno, now trapped in place by gold. Looked on as they left his house. Wondering again what exactly happened.

It was an odd day. Drinking the last of the honey beer, he made a mental note to make more. He had a feeling he would need it in the coming days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this little Christmas present!!! I worked overtime to create a worthwhile chapter. My 3rd chapter will feature Ranboo I tried to add him in, but I wanted to write some endermen curb stomping dream. (can you blame me?) 
> 
> it was fun writing Techno and Dream. I will have to get into Dreams head one day.


	3. a day of Ranboo

Tubbo walks down the dock. His head currently being attacked by a violent migraine. He was not able to get a wink of sleep last night. There was the sound of hell coming from the mountains far away. Fundy said it was an Endermen cry, how could it be anything else? Quackity said it might be a fight Technoblade lost, how could the piglin cry for anything else? Tubbo first thought it was a living nightmare. The sound only lasted 2 minutes, but it haunted them all. Safe to say, nobody fell asleep last night.

His eyes glued to his boots, and his mind spiralling from the current politics. Both hands clutched his small horns, as if the small whight would shut down his thoughts. But it did not work. And once again his mind was stuck on Tommy’s exile. The event was a few months ago. But the memory held so much pain. It’s always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of things like that. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. He did not really know what the truth was in that situation. suppose anybody in L’manburg will ever really know. He felt that Tommy was innocent, but he was just gambling on probabilities - he may be wrong. Not only that, but he may have been trying to let a guilty man go free. Tubbo sighed as the doubt and ‘I don’t know’ flooded his head. Nobody really can. But he had a reasonable doubt, and that’s something that Tubbo knew was very valuable in L’manburgs system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it’s certain. 

Right?

But why was Tommy found guilty?

Why was there only one man on the jury?

Tubbo did not know.

Tubbo closes his eyes and tries to brush away his thoughts. He lets go of his horns and lets his hands rest clasped around his neck, letting his head rest on them for a moment. When he opens his eyes, he sees Ranboo coming out of his house. Face full of determination. Every step was full of purpose. The man was clad in enchanted armour. He looked like a King ready to die in war. Tubbo wondered why he was in a full suit of armour on and only a rope and a bucket with him. He wondered what mob was could be killed with no weapon. What was Ranboo fighting? He had to know.

“Hello Ranboo!”

Ranboo jumped startled by Tubbo’s sudden shout. The rope was dropped and in Ranboo’s jig for balance in armour, the rope tangled itself around his legs. Tripping the hybrid over the edge for him to fall over. Tubbo looked on in horror as Ranboo fell. The bucket clanging and Ranboo’s claws against the wood was the only thing his ears heard.

“Hello Tubbo!” Comes the frantic reply as Ranboo clings to the beam of the dock for dear life, “How’s your day?”

“I am doing fine, you?” And Tubbo wants to crawl into a hole and die because obviously his brain to mouth filter has been screwed to hell by paperwork and dealing with Quackity. This is the only explanation for why that came out instead of an apology, or something at least not awkward.

“Oh, just-” Ranboo lets go-to gesture with his right hand and almost slips off the algae-covered beam, again. It’s a few more seconds of scrambling and the clattering of netherite against wood, before the ender-hybrids claws managed to regain their hold. “-hanging in there,” 

“Want me to,” Tubbo motions vaguely at the situation, “-help you with that?” 

“Oh, thank you. That would be very much appreciated.” And even hanging above a pit of probably certain death, or at least certain agony, the hybrid is still polite as ever. It’s a few minutes of planning and manoeuvring, before Tubbo’s lowering a rope over the edge and finally manages to pull Ranboo up from the ravine and back onto the bridge.

“Least I could do.” After a moment’s pause where they both regain composure, Tubbo sees the bucket clutched in his left hand, the attached rope dangling off the edge of the dock.

“Why do you need water anyway? Aren't you allergic?” He asks, pointing to the bucket.

“I would like to have a pet.” Ranboo blurted out, seeming to surprise himself. “Fundy says they need water, so I am getting some.” He smiled before a thought overshadowed his features. He looked at his reflection in the water bucket considering something before locking eyes with Tubbo. “So-Umm what how do.. what do uh… Pets need to like…. survive? I just, I just want to take good care of them….”

Tubbo gives Ranboo a small smile. He thinks about the pets he has had in the past and hopes that these will not die by Sapnap. “Oh, definitely food, and water is a must. Good on you to get some. You also have to keep them entertained as well. A bored pet is a disaster. So have something that keeps them interested. It really depends on the type of pet you have. There is a big difference between cats and dogs I guess. A must is a bed, to sleep in a place that’s theirs to hide away from the world. Like a cave or a place you do not go into that they are only allowed into.”

Ranboo places his bucket down on the wooden planks, to pull out his notebook scribbling all this down. “Thank you Tubbo! This actually helps a lot!” He grins snapping his journal shut with a clap.

“Oh, you are welcome! Glad I could help.” Tubbo grins back and pats Ranboo on the arm, only to grimace and pull away as half-dried algae slime sticks to the palm of his gloves.

“Hey! Once I put my water away, want to go to the nether? I want to try a new trading idea!”

“Oh yeah, sure!” Tubbo probably shouldn’t sound so enthusiastic, but the four walls of his presidential office feel like they’re starting to tighten in around him, like an invisible noose constricting his neck. And an excuse to stay away longer than a walk to get some fresh air feels like solace. It also feels like running away, but Tubbo at this point could not give the peace of mind to care.

His papers and meetings can wait, a few hours of trading will make up for his lack of work anyway.

After all, what’s the worst that could happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One algae less ender hybrid and nether portal later, and Tubbo is immediately regretting this decision to join Ranboo. 

Ranboo tried to trade with piglins in a boat, A BOAT.

The first thing the hybrid did as soon as he saw a piglin was put a boat on the ground. And to Tubbo’s shock, he then tried to trade with any piglin that fell into the boat.

Tubbo decided to leave for his own safety. He turned on his heel and ran back to his office. Politics seemed to make more sense than this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranboo wanders to a warped forest after some failed trading. He made a mental note to ask Techno how the boat was a part of Piglin hospitality worked. He had no desire to be rude to possible future allies. Looking behind him, he saw a mob of Piglins attacking a magma cube that burnt one of them to death. From the looks of things, they were losing the battle. Ranboo looked around him and locked eyes with an enderman nearby. He made a grand gesture he never used before and pointed to the magma cube. The endermen let out a war cry and joined the fray on the side of the piglins. More endermen joined their kin as the Magma cube was destroyed. The piglins looked on in shock. And after the Magma cube was killed, they fled into the forest. Except for a small child. Who stayed behind and looked on the endermen with wonder in his small depths.

Ranboo looked on as the Endermen teleported away. He wondered if he did the right thing as he opened his new journal. This one had all the items that he found humans needed to survive. He felt bad asking around about how to take care of a pet. Tommy isn’t a pet, but over-world creatures from his observation need roundabout the same things. Might as well be prepared then let Tommy starve, or be unhappy. An Enderfriend has never died before in the end. And he had no desire to ever break the cycle. As he idly wrote down some new notes, he thought about his mother. Would she have done the same thing? If he was Tommy, his mom would have tried to eat Dream.

He sighed and sat against a warped tree. His back feeling every knot in the wood as he leaned on it. He closed his eyes as he thought of his home. His mothers horde of glass being built, the light coming from his mom’s creation filling the inky skyline with there beauty. Bringing joy to her subjects with her statues and glass ledges for them to play on. He did not understand his mom’s love of glass, but he love seeing her love it. That reminds him. Ranboo rummages through his pockets before pulling out what he was searching for.

A necklace, made entirely out of sea glass. Even the chains were carved into tiny glass loops, his mother would adore it, seeing as sea glass was one of the hardest things for ender-people to find for her.

He was planning on giving it to her anyway but whether or not she’d be enthusiastic about his decision with Tommy, hopefully adding this to her horde would placate some of her anger or gods forbid, disappointment.

Ranboo was not above some good old fashion buttering up, when it was needed. He hoped his mother would like Tommy. Oh, who was he kidding? His mother liked everyone, who wouldn’t try to harm him or her horde that is.

Besides, Tommy was an Enderfriend.

“Oh-oh wow,” it suddenly struck him what he’d done. He curses his rashness and inability to think sensibly when caught up in the heat of the moment.

Tommy was the first publicly declared Ender-Friend to the PRINCE OF THE END, In the last two thousand years. The Endermen would never leave him alone. It would be an insult to ignore Tommy. Tommy was now equal to the Prince of the end. The endermen would DIE for Tommy’s safety. 

And Tommy had no idea.

Ranboo let out a peal of laughter. The whole situation that he put himself and Tommy in. His mom is not going to let him live this down. He could already hear his tutors banging their heads against their desks with his impulsive decisions. Standing up and brushing off some dust, Ranboo went back to the portal. He had some new stuff for his human to obtain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey Ranboo!” Ranboo looked up to Philza, the man was waving to Ranboo as he passed the man’s house to his own, “Want to do me a favor? I need some items. But unfortunately, I can not leave this house.”

“I will be right in! Just need to put some items away first.”

“See you soon then! I will put the kettle on.”

Ranboo pickles up his pace and enters his house. He puts some items away for some free inventory space. He kinda felt sorry for the man. From what he heard he was an amazing builder. To be trapped in his home was horrible when he could help rebuild the land. He huffed as he shut a chest with more force than needed. When he was king, he would plan out punishments fairly to what the land needed. 

Ranboo walked over Philzas’ house and entered to the smell of jasmine tea.

“Ah, Ranboo!! Just in time, the tea’s just started simmering.’’ Philza set out some cups and gestured Ranboo over for a seat.

“I have some more room in my inventory Philza! What do you need?”

“Oh, just some wood, sand, and coal. I am expanding my basement, so I need some torches and glass.” Ranboo took out his journal and wrote down what was needed on a back page. He sprinkled in some dried corus fruit into the jasmine to make it drinkable for himself. When Philza saw him put in the dried fruit, he cocked his head.

“What is that?”

“Oh, because I am allergic to water, it is hard for me to ...well drink.” Ranboo shrugged as he informed Philza of the little white lie. The man did not need to know he has something as forbidden as corus fruit. “But this medicine negates some of my allergies when consuming water.”

He sipped his tea as Philza nodded his head in understanding. They talked over what else was needed and wrote down some new items for the man. 

Once they were finished, Ranboo stood up. “I will try to gather this stuff for you, I will hope to be back before sunset.”

Philza’s arm shot out and grasped Ranboo’s elbow, pulling him back down to the chair. “I want to talk about something first Ranboo.”

“Yeah, wha-”

“How is Tommy.” Ranboo stopped breathing for a moment “I know you saw him.”

He had to lie. This was Tommy’s father, if he knew he might ruin his whole plan. He had to lie, he had to. “He is fine from what I could tell.’ The lie scraped by his teeth as it left his mouth. The sour taste of deceit was unwelcome, but a half-truth took its place. “I am planning on leaving soon to see him again.”

“That’s…. That's good…. That is very good.’’ Philza sighed, Letting the Prince go as he leaned back into his chair. Some comfort was found from his lies. “He has been banished for 8 months ya know? I should have visited more before I was put under house arrest.” The man gestured to his ankle bracelet with no emotion.

“8 months? I thought it was 2?” Ranboo’s mind shuttered and recalculated some things. Tuning out Philza’s words.

“Yeah, 8 months at least. I am just glad Dream has been visiting him every week to help him. I wonder what he’s built in all that time?” Philza chuckeled to himself thinking outloud, “Probably a cobble-stone tower, that child did always love the fact he is tall.”

“Haaaaaa……..” Ranboo’s mind spiraled by his memories about how barren the land was with craters. Not a single sing standing by Dream’s hand. How skinny Tommy was when he held him. How silent he was being carried into the snowy tundra. How he seemed to be as quiet as death as he was given to Techno.

“You ok Ranboo?”

“Yeah! I'm ok! I will go get your stuff now!” Ranboo leapt out of his chair and sprinted to the door. His mind filed with the thought of Tommy. It distressed him to no end. “Bye Philza, thanks for the tea!!” He left without hearing a word from the man.

Ranboo threw open the door. He goes to his ender chest and checks all the items in it. He checked every item, water bucket, wool, cobble, wood, blaze rods, eyes of ender, diamonds, gold, berries, dirt, potatoes, wheat, carrots, fishing pole, lead. Perfect! everything that he had on his list was here. He closed the chest and put it in his pocket. He looked at the house one last time and said farewell to it all. Going around in his chests he pulled out the items that Philza wanted and left his house for the last time.

Philza opened the door. He probably wasn’t expecting the hybrid to quickly return after his initial leaving. “Ranboo! That was fast, I was no-”

“Here you go Philza!” Ranboo took everything out of his inventory that the man had wanted and stuffed them in his arms. Philza took a step back as his arms were suddenly full of more items than he asked for. Ranboo clapped his hands,“Well it looks like you have everything all settled, see you later!”

Philza sputtered, “Ranboo! Where are you going!”

But Ranboo paid no mind to him. He turned on his heel and ran. He ran to the far away tundra. His mind focused on a single goal. 

GET. THE. ENDERFRIEND. HOME.

Not once looking behind him to the land that housed him. The people who welcomed him with open arms. The same ones who dared to harm Tommy. 

But if Ranboo looked back once, he would have noticed something.

There was a green hunter following him. 

Every step of the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to thank my beta Blackholesun123 for helping me troubleshoot this chapter. it was fun to write some humour and fill in some lore with this chapter. the next one is where the fun begins!!


	4. The Pain of the Chase

Techno sat down in a chair as he drunkenly finished weaving a large basket. He looked over to Tommy, the only reason that Techno would ever craft something like this for. In Techno’s mind, he made this basket to place all the endermen gifts into. As of late, the endermen seemed to be determined to bury him and Tommy under dirt, wool, and every block Techno had ever seen. Techno usually waited until most of them went away before he collected the items and put them in his chests. Once he tried to when the endermen were nearby, but it did not go well. Thankfully Edward in his boat seemed to vouch for him in the “enderman way”. He knew somehow the blocks were for Tommy. They kept putting them all over Tommy. Techno agreed that it would be considered rude to take someone's gifts without their permission. But in light of recent events, he also knew Tommy might have been a part of why his house is now ruined.

Plus its free resources. He would be a fool to leave them.

The teen looked much better now bundled in a thick blanket and by the dying embers. Techno got some beet stew into him earlier, he remembered that Tommy hated potato stew after the whole Pogtopia ‘revolution’. With a smile as he remembered that potatoes was all they ate back then. He made a mental note to see if he could make potato beer. Seemed like his cup of tea so to say. Techno looked over to Tommy again and was somewhat happy that some colour had come back to his bro-.

He shook his head banishing those thoughts from his mind as he dropped the finished basket down close to the hearth. He went over and picked up some wool and tore it to shreds. Then threw it into the basket. He stilled as his ears stood to attention as they heard a distorted chirp behind him. Slowly turning around, he kept his eyes to the ground. Hoved hand on his sword by habit alone. And was only mildly shocked as he saw a small pile of wool blocks. With a huff, he picked them up and tore them up and threw the remains into the basket until it was full. With a rare moment of clear thought in his drunken haze, he grabbed another blanket and made some form of cover over the wool. Making some large makeshift pillow in the basket. He then stumbled over to Tommy and heaved him up in his arms and placed him within the basket. 

The teen was still in some sort of coma, but his eyes were finally closed. And his breathing was even and no longer shallow. With small signs of his health returning, Techno knew he should awake soon. And truth be told, he was not ready to unpack things that he could not explain. He grabbed his drinking horn and drowned his Barley Wine as another small group of endermen popped in to place more “gifts” for the unknowing boy. Now resting in his new bed. Techno looked on as they placed the blocks. He decided to leave and check his new brewing shack and wait until they were done with their little ritual.

He hopped out of one of the holes in his house and went to a small shack he made this morning to the side of his house. It might have been better to fix his house, but he has new priorities. The moonlight shone on the snow, making his homestead feel like something out of a fairytale. Opening the door and leaning down to fit into the shack was poor planning on his part. He grumbled to himself as he checked the new barrels of different beers and spirits he was experimenting with. There was his regular Honey Beer that was running low. He was looking for some more barley wine when he remembered the barley wine and berry wine was in the basement. He looked over to some new barrels. In the barrels, there was some fermenting warped fungus and other herbs in some more Honey Wine. He could not wait for that beer to be done to, it smelled heavenly.

With some flair for his own private dramatics, he makes a big show to himself in choosing a drinking horn. Sure there were only two. And yes they were completely identical, they were from the same ram after all. But to Technoblade, he loved it. It just added some flair to his day. Some flair that nobody judged in his new little shack. Holding them up to a crack of moonlight filtering in. Making an exaggerated face to his own pleasure when he saw something he liked in the golden inlays. The rubies that matched his eyes. The silver twisted with the gold and making the metal glitter in the light. Once he picked one, he filled it with the last of the honey beer and left his shack with a happy smile. 

As he was sipping his beer he thought about adding 2 new doors to the holes once he patched them up. Having more doors seemed to be easier than one. As he approached one, he saw Tommy’s back to him. Tommy was currently looking through a hole in the wall and was looking out at a small crowd of endermen. More than likely he was planning to escape. He noticed that some bandages fell off of him, making a mess on the floor. He sighed grabbed the remaining wall and hauled himself up one-handed into his house.

The sound of his entrance made Tommy whip his body around and take a stance. His face relaxed, but his body did not, “Hey, Techno.”

“You’re getting blood on my floor.” he remarked as he sipped his beer.

“...That’s it?” Tommy’s swung his arms around, becoming more indignant with every word he spoke, “No asking where I’ve been for the past 8 months?”

“Well, you’re back, aren’t you?” Techno now realized that he was very drunk. He ignored the buzz and went to a chest to get some meat for Tommy to eat. Or at least get Tommy to shut up. “And you’re getting blood on my floor. Go to the chair or get in your basket, I don’t care.” He put the horn down as he dug around for some small hunk of food in the chest. 

“About that big man, why was I in a fuckin nest? That is not-”

Techno never finds out what the basket was not because Tommy stops talking as soon as Techno holds out a hunk of roast beef to him. Within one second the food is ripped out of the hoved hand and Techno witnesses the most horrific violence to food. The teen wolfs it down like no tomorrow, and Techno fears that he will choke. 

“Whoa, slow down!” He holds out his hands, intent to take the food away from the feral human. “You’re going to make yourself sick! Take some time to enjoy it, okay? There’s always sec-”

Suddenly Tommy flinches away. His eyes filled with fear as he swallowed the last of the beef. His hands fixed to his mouth as he held in the last bits of food he had to chew. Eyes glued to Techno in fear. Some endermen entered the home, maybe sensing Tommy’s fear of the piglin. If memory serves, the mob could curb stomp him if they wish. So Techno raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender. And took a step back. Letting Tommy finish his food and praying the endermen do not come and try to intervene.

“You know I would not hurt you, right?”

“....”

“Right...? 

“....”

“W-Why won’t you answer me?”

Tommy stays silent as he looks around. Techno reaches out again for Tommy to flinch once again.

“Tommy, what happened?”

“Where is Ranboo?”

“He left you with me for now.” Techno saw the deflection “He is packing for your ‘trip’ somewhere. Do you even know where you are going?”

“Not really…” Tommy shrugs uncaringly and licks the beefs spices from his fingers.

“Why are you going with him then?” 

“It is better than what I had before.”

“What did you have before you fled with Ranboo, a stranger of all people?” Techno thought Phil had at least taught Tommy the basics of stranger danger. Or maybe the kid had breezed over the lesson like he did most things.

“I had nothing. Dream came by almost every other day and destroyed everything I owned. I thought it was just to get his anger out in the beginning. Maybe he wanted to punish me for constantly starting conflicts you know.” Tommy locked his eyes to his feet. His words now seemed to spill out of him as he was talking. “But then he never stopped. He let me starve, he destroyed my weapons and took my torches. I had to flee from mobs. I felt I could never rest. I just, I just wanted to die. and I just don't care anymore. It was Ranboo or the lava and as much as this is all too much I don’t think I can jump just yet.” Tommy finally looks up to meet Techno’s eyes, he quirked an eyebrow with a small fake smile to his lips, “Impressed?”

“That is not impressive Tommy. No one here is impressed.” Techno’s huffs playing along.

“You sound impressed.”

“I am not impressed that you could have died!”

“But you are impressed by the fact I survived, aren’t you?” Tommy just smiles in some form of victory. For a second Techno could see the old Tommy. 

But the fire was not there. 

A tear rolled down his cheek. Like his body was in pain but the heart and soul refused to acknowledge it. Techno reached out to touch him but retracts his hand. Not wanting to see the other flinch in fear of him again. 

He takes a breath and asks Tommy “What do you need?”

Tommy looked to the ground and wrung his hands, after a moment of silence, “I need... a hug.”

“A hug?”

“I just need a hug. Something to tell me that all of this is real,” Tommy looked to Techno, as his voice cracked, “that I’m not making this up. That I am not hallucinating.”

Techno realized his mind has reached that point in drunkenness where his brain goes from ‘You probably shouldn’t do that.’ To ‘What the hell, let’s see what happens.’ But for once, he did not mind. So Techno does it without hesitation. He scoops Tommy into his arms and kneels on the ground with his brother in his arms. One arm pinning the teen to him while the other brushes the hair on his scalp. There was a small cry from Tommy making Techno loosen his arms in fear that he went too far. But as soon as he did Tommy clung to him and started crying onto him. Techno held the teen as he wept, mumbling reassurances to him and rubbing circles into his back. He heard the Endermen enter the house from the gaping holes. Looking up to them, he saw them crowding around him and seeming to be distressed as well. Techno slowly placed a hand to the back of Tommy’s head and held it, to not let him look to the intruders. He gave a glare to the endermen, trying his best to not look into their eyes.

He felt pressure on his hand and after a brief moment, let go of Tommy's head and let him pull away. Tommy still clung to Techno, but now looked up to his face. Blue eyes met red eyes. Techno held the stare not letting anything show on his face. But was thrown when he felt a hand grasp his tusk. In his drunken haze he was stuck in a memory, where blue eyes met red once in the past. A time long ago when the tusk was much smaller. When Tommy was just a babe and full of life and curiosity. He fully expected Philza to call out to Tommy to let the tusk go. It was not a toy. Wilbur just laughed while he set the table. Because it was Monday, and he knew he would do it on Tuesday. He could smell chicken soup and honey rolls in the oven-

What happened to his family?

Where had the time gone?

His heart bled as the memory faded into reality.

Technoblade never dies. But the past does. 

And for that Technoblade cried.

He held onto his brother and wept for his pain and what was lost to a cruel hunter. They held onto each other, both savouring the surrounding silence. Just two heartbeats and drunken mumbles from an older brother to his younger. Both never apologizing for their actions, but morning the consequences. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranboo is running, he doesn’t have time to walk, does not have the time to wander and take in the sights and sounds of the overworld one last time before he leaves. That doesn’t stop him from noticing as the grass starts to turn yellow and trees turning from oak to pine. As the temperature changes from chilly to downright freezing, and by the time snow starts to appear in patches Ranboo knows Techno’s house isn’t that far away.

The endermen are teleporting next to him as he speeds to the cottage. Their chirps and warbles trailing him as he sprints. They were all making the same signal to him.

+Evil+Coming+ 

Someone was following him. He knew for a while. Some faint footsteps could be heard behind him. But he never once looked back. If he did, they might know that he knows and will pounce on him now. He would rather wait until he had Technoblade by his side to help him fight.

He sees the cottage and stumbles at what he sees. The cottage was in shambles, there was no light in the windows. But the only hope was the endermen surrounding the remains of the building. He fears the worst and becomes even more determined to get Tommy to the portal. He needs to. Get. Tommy. HOME!

Ranboo bursts in from one of the many new holes, It makes him worry that someone got there before him, but is relieved when he sees them by the fireplace. They were holding each other not caring about the surrounding mess. Ranboo wonders if this was recent. long legs skidding to a stop and hitting what looks like an elaborate nest. He stops before the duo as the tall hybrid tries to catch his breath.

“Hi Tommy—hey Techno thanks for taking care of him, but we need to go right now!” Ranboo rushed out. Anxiety and fear pounding a rhythm in his brain to move-move-move now!

“Wo-woah- woah what’s going on?” Tommy looked up from the piglin’s chest. Glossy eyes, a red nose, and a scratchy voice told Ranboo that he had been crying. Techno turns his face to stare as well and…. Well, Ranboo didn’t know piglins had the ability to cry. It threw the prince for a loop seeing Technoblade cry. He seemed like the type of person to shove all their emotions into a box and never dealt with them till they die. He made a mental note to unpack all of that later. Because the hunter tailing them was still coming, and they weren’t getting any closer to the portal. He turned to the endermen gathered and made another hand signal and gestured to Tommy. Telling them it was time to go. NOW. Some made chirps and others made no sound as they teleported away. He faced the piglin and Tommy, meeting Technoblade’s face of understanding and Tommy’s of pure awe and confusion.

“No time to explain.” Ranboo reaches over and grips the other teen’s shoulder, he notices the flinch but doesn’t stop from pulling Tommy out of the piglins arms. 

“EXPLAIN NOW!” Technoblade let out a snarl of anger and stood up, almost towering over the prince within a second.

But with Tommy in his arms, he races back to the hole he came in through. Any other time Ranboo would have immediately apologized and let go, but they don’t have time and whoever is following him is closing in. “We need to leave-“

Right when they were about to bolt through the hole, a tall figure appears from the trees, purple on bright green, netherite armour over an emerald coloured hoodie, a familiar mask white like bleached bone stares at them the crudely drawn smile sending something like hopelessness crawling down into his chest squeezing around his lungs.

“Oh Tommy, Ranboo.” Dreams tone is sweet and faint, it sounded like how a poison is sweet right before you are choking on your own blood.

“-now Fuck!” They both can’t help but freeze, the curse slipping from Ranboo’s lips before he can stop it. He knows they need to move but Dreams stares lock them in place, the feeling of eyes meeting his own like a paralytic and shaking in Tommy fingers along with shallow breaths makes Ranboo think his friend is having a panic attack.

There stuck staring down their demise as it creeps closer. Ranboo finds he can’t move-he can’t move-hecan’t- a warm hand lands on his shoulder, three hoof-like fingers digging into the muscle as the smell of sweet alcohol hits Ranboo in the nose breaking him from the staring contest with Dream. 

“Your Highness,” The Piglin growls, and it’s at this point Ranboo can see what Techno had been doing while he was caught like deer in the torchlight. Grabbing probably the biggest fireworks-launcher Ranboo had ever seen, “-get out of here I’ll buy you some time.”

Techno took his hands off him to swing around the firework launcher strapped around his shoulder and begin loading in some fireworks.

“But I only have one bottle of dragon's breath left,” Ranboo reached into his pocket and handed the purple vile to Techno as he made some final adjustments to the fireworks, “I can not fully pay you bac-”

“Ranboo, I’m drunker than a sailor on leave right now, the rational part of my brain has been turned off, so take this freebie from the Blood God. Just take Tommy and Run! Or so help me, Gods, I’ll Shoot You Too!” Ranboo nodded not wanting to push the inebriated piglin any further than his drunken mind could handle. Ranboo clutched a shaking and still frozen Tommy to himself as he fled out of the back hole. Looking back, he saw Dream sliding and stopping dead in his tracks in front of the ruins of the house. Eyes now locked at the Piglin illuminated by the fire behind him. 

Dream took a step back as he saw the weapon aimed at him, “Is that-”

“Yes Dream.” Ranboo hears Techno as he bellows back at the hunter, “This is a firework-launcher. And yes. I’m very, very unhappy to see you.”

That was the last thing Ranboo heard as he fled with Tommy into the forest. He locked his eyes forward and ran. There were explosions and battle-cries echoing behind him, illuminating the trees in front of him. There was a sudden crashing sound behind him, but he never looked back.

But Tommy suddenly started screaming in his arms. “TECHNOBLADE!”

“Quiet! Dream will hear yo-”

“Ranboo we have to go back-”

“Why do we-”

“Ranboo, we have to go-”

“Tommy we are so close-”

“The roof collapsed! Ranboo, It killed Technoblade!” That made Ranboo falter in his steps. “We have to go back please Ranboo-”

“Tommy,” Ranboo did his best to calm the frantic teen, “Technoblade never dies.” But Ranboo ran faster, if Techno was dead then Dream is now hunting them. But that is impossible. Technoblade will win, he always does. With the extra time he and Tommy can go ho-

Suddenly an endermen appeared to the princes’ vision and made a hand motion Ranboo knew well. 

+Evil+Coming+ 

Ranboo felt a tear fall down his cheek. He felt his legs go weak, but kept running. He had no desire to let the piglin’s death be in vain. Ranboo slid to a stop and put Tommy down on a fallen log free of snow. “Tommy please don’t move.” 

“‘Ranboo, what are you doing?” Tommy ask still shaken.

“I’m going to buy you some time to get to the portal.” Ranboo tries to give a reassuring smile but it comes out as a grimace instead.

“I’m coming with you.” The teen said, trying to force his shaking legs to stand.

“You can barely stand! Let alone fight you’ll be killed!” Ranboo said, placing his hands on Tommys shoulders to keep the teen from collapsing and gently setting him much to the humans indignation, back down onto the log.

“You’ll be killed Ranboo!” Tommy sounds heart broken and Ranboo turns away they don’t have time for this he- “Don’t you fucking dare die! Don’t You Fucking Dare Sacrifice Your Self For Me!” Ranboo stops, back still turned and can’t help the lump that forms in his throat at the utter pain and desperation in that scream.

“Technos dead because of me, and I can’t… I can’t lose someone else because some crazy man is out for me!” Tommy’s voice is faint and broken, so close to shattering entirely and Ranboo can’t leave him like this.

He turns around and does something that makes his crawl and stomach drop, he looks Tommy in the eyes. “I’m not going to die tonight Tommy. I promise on all the gods I won’t die here! Please just— I’ll see you five minutes, live so we can kick Dream and his stupid smile later when you can fight.” He could see more endermen in the trees, With shaking hands, he signalled to them.

+Enderfriend+Home+Portal+

The endermen surround Tommy. Who yells in shock as they grab him and teleport away. More than likely they will give him the missing ender pearls to complete the portals. At least he hopes they will. It would save time for when he runs in.

There’s a sealed pocket on the inside of his suit protected by enchantments sown in with the thread, but all it takes for it to fade away and for it contents to slide into his fingers is a phrase in a dead language and a drop of his blood. It's only a millisecond to pierce his thumb with his claw and another to say the phrase, before his hand is filled with a glass vile it’s contents a raging storm of violet collapsing in waves and cashing against the glass, trying desperately to consume anything and everything even itself in a sisyphean loop, never truly degrading and never truly devouring but trying all the same. 

Ranboo didn’t like lying and the fact Techno might be dead now made the fact he’d lied even more gut-wrenching but; sometimes lying was a matter of life or death. And if there was one lesson Ranboo had learned and learned well? It would be adaptation and survival. His rash actions and habits of not thinking things through got him into a lot of sticky situations, if it wasn’t for the fact he was just as good at improvising and coming up with plans on the fly he’d likely be dead.

So it probably should be alarming that instead of a plan the only thing going through his mind as he holds one of the deadliest venoms in the realm and goes to distract one of the deadest people on this server is ‘at least this bottle won’t go to waste.’

He hears Dream before he sees him. “Ranboo.”

“Dream,” Rambo slowly turned around. Acting like he was on a walk and not running for his life. “how nice to-” his words died as he saw the hunter. The mask was broken, a jagged piece now gone revealing his chin and mouth. The armor had dents and soot all over. Dreams labored breaths made it look like smoke was pouring out of his mouth. The battered diamond sword was in his hand, ready for an attack. Tension filled the air as eyes met and opponents were calculated. Ranboo could handle all of that but on Dream’s hip, was Technoblades crown. 

Ranboo’s eyes were locked onto the crown, breath was hard to come by as the sight confirmed his worst nightmare. Dream followed his gaze, and with a smirk he replied to Ranboo, “There is room for one more Ranboo.” 

Dream lunged with a battle cry. Ranboo snapped out of it enough to throw the venom into Dream’s face before he ducked. The shock of the glass breaking against his mask and of the liquid splashing against his exposed face made Dream stumble and collapse in a heap. Ranboo took that opportunity to run for the portal. But he saw some endermen in the shadows, he gave one last signal.

+Haunt+Hunter+

He feels a pair of hands grasp his shoulders, he panics and turns around. But is suddenly teleported to the portal room. Looking around he sees that the portal is completed. Tommy must have hopped in as soon as he completed it. He stands at the top of the stairs, he turns the surrounding endermen. Intent to thank them for all of their work and protection of the enderfriend.

But as soon as he started his speech, he heard blocks being broken. The endermen felt his fear and started to get restless. One enderman reaches out and pushes Ranboo backwards into the portal. He lets out a yell as he falls down.

The last thing he sees of the overworld is Dream running into the room. A pickaxe in hand, and anger in his executing any endermen who stayed behind. The inky venom trickling down the holes in his mask. His war cry made the room echo with his fury as his prey escaped him. 

And then all was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank my lovely lovely Beta and fellow writer Blackholesun123 who helped me complete this chapter! 
> 
> I would like to apologize for another cliffhanger. But now Ranboo and Tommy are in the End now!!! Yay!


	5. Endermen Therapy

There were 20 endermen in the portal room. They were frantically trying to put together the door home with eyes of the fallen with rods of blaze. It was a secret lost to the endermen once they found out they could go between realms on a whim. But they cursed the pride of their ancestors now that the prince and the Enderfirend were in danger. 

Suddenly an enderman teleported in with the enderfriend. With chirps and growls, they were told the story faster than any hand motion ever could. 

They needed to hurry.

The enderfriend started squawking and chattering in his own tongue. But stopped as soon as he saw the portal. Eyes locked on it in pure disbelief. Going limp in the endermen's arms as he quieted down. The endermen became curious.

Did the Enderfirend know what to do?

One endermen held out an eye for the enderman to see. Hoping that the human had some overworld knowledge they did not. The enderfriend took it and walked towards the portal with shaky steps. He took a rod of blaze from another outstretched hand. And to their shock, crushed the rod and pressed it to the eye of their kin. The result was a green eye that they had only seen once long ago. The endermen were awestruck as the human placed the new eye into an empty cavity. A clicking sound was heard. 

The Enderfriend knew what to do!

But there was no time to marvel over the enderfriend and his knowledge. The endermen in turn mimicked the lost knowledge that was presented before them. Cracking the rods and combining them with the eyes with awe. As soon as every cavity was filled, the door was open. But the enderfriend refused to go in. the endermen were confused.

Why would the enderfriend not want to go home?

One endermen in a fit of desperation picked up the human. They ignored his squaws and sounds he was making as they made their way to the door. The rest of the endermen looked on in shock as an enderman used a portal for the first time in generations. As soon as they left, some teleported to check on the prince. And then immediately came back with him. Intent on getting the prince home. They watched with mild amusement as their prince stood at the edge of the portal and started to give a speech. The endermen had no use for a speech. 

But if the prince wanted to give them one, they will be happy to receive one.

But the prince stilled, then the endermen heard the sound that made everything stop. It was breaking blocks. No doubt it was the hunter. The endermen became restless, trying to sign to the prince that he needed to leave.

He needed to leave NOW.

Footsteps were heard in the hall. Heavy breathing and a scraping tool was being dragged. That is what was head until an endermen pushed the prince into the door. His cry echoed into the room as soon as the green hunter came. His war cry made the room echo with his fury as their prince escaped him. The anger of the hunter seemed to fuel his pursuit to the portal. 

They had to protect their home.

The endermen rushed him. Intent to stomp him on the ground once again. But they were soon slayed by the swinging crescent tool. But one endermen stayed behind from the fray, dismantling the door home. Throwing a single piece into the lava, the endermen looked around itself.

Once there was 20. Now there was one.

The enderman stood at the top of the stairs, where the prince once stood. And stared down the hunter. His face was broken, and his eyes resembled the void of home. The enderman thought it was strange, was his eyes the colour of trees once? The hunter let loose another war cry as he lunged to the lone enderman. And at that moment, the enderman teleported home. Leaving the hunter to jump into the ruined portal into the lava below. 

Once they were home, they fled to the castle as they joined the rest of their brethren. Informing them of the hunter’s probable pain. Many happy chirps and grows were heard throughout the castle as the information was retold over and over.

Ranboo is taken to his room where the queen was waiting. They bring the Enderfriend with them as well. Thinking the queen would like to meet the human as well.

The Queen, they find out, has no idea who the human is. Her first reaction upon seeing them carrying a passed out human is to bolt up in shock and then damned he be thrown over the edge into the void mistaking the enderfriend as one of the attackers of her son.

They explain in motions who the human was. That the green hunter was the only one attacking them and the enderfriend, and that the portal is broken, so she does not have to worry about the green ender hunter coming.

The Queen is out of sorts as she tucks her son into his bed. By the stiffness in her shoulder it is not lost on her what an immense thing her son has done for this single human. She sighs and closes her eyes. Mumbling something to herself. She was then motioning to the enderman with quick but decisive hand gestures that the human is to be cared for as if kin.

With the Queen's permission the endermen are given full rights to care for the human. The endermen chirped with joy. They took the enderfriend into a large room. After some discussion, they decided to make a nest like the piglin’s. The nest turned out to be a big pit on the floor full of blankets and wool. 

But the endermen were very proud.

They are proud of providing for the enderfriend.

The story of the lone enderman was still being told. How their fallen kin fell to the green hunter. How his eyes of rage resembled the void of their home. It made the mob wonder. What did their beloved prince do to save the Enderfriend? It was at the cost of the piglin, and for that many endermen came and placed flowers in the nest. Only a few stayed to watch, surrounding the human and keeping watch outside the room, like they did at the roof of the Bastion not too long ago. Other endermen came and placed dirt, telling others of how his overworld home became a creeper hole thanks to the same green hunter. Their stories joined the others as the tale of the Enderfriend became a legend in real time. Soon more endermen came to see the now fabled Enderfriend. More gifts were placed in his nest while others started to cover the walls in wood like the piglin’s Bastion. In a small attempt to give the human some comfort when they awake.

Suddenly there was a nose from the nest. Some endermen looked into the nest and were frightened by what they saw. The human was quaking and twitching in his sleep. His cries and muffled wails broke their hearts.

They had no idea what to do.

One Endermen took out a gift out of the nest as soon as the EnderFriend hit his tiny claw on it. Leaving a colour that concerned the endermen. Soon more endermen came forward and took the gifts out of the nest as well. Maybe there was a reason the piglin removed their gifts. Some Endermen hung their heads as they remembered how they threatened the piglin who they now know was trying to keep the enderman safe. But their removal of the gifts did not help the cries.

One enderman growled out an idea. The other endermen thought the idea over and then some chirped at the idea. One enderman walked into the nest and removed the human, and hugged him like the piglin did. It seemed to stop the cries a bit as the human clutched onto the enderman.

It was working.

Soon more endermen joined the embrace. Letting out small chirps of joy at the solved puzzle. They had made the Enderfriend happy, and they were glad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranboo wakes up to his room. One eye popped open to check if he was captured by Dream. His body not moving a muscle in the event he could have to play dead. But he was filled with immense relief when he saw his childhood ceiling. He felt with his right hand, and no doubt it was his old sheets and blanket. He felt something warm in his left-hand, so he turned his head over to look and see what it was.

Relief flooded him again as he opened both eyes and looked at his Mama. Her face scrunched up in worry from what he could see. Her jet black hair seemed knocked out of its traditional bun and became a messy ponytail cascading over her left shoulder. She was looking out of the window onto her glass sculptures outside. But her right hand was clasping Ranboo’s. Her thumb gently brushing over his knuckles as she waited for him to wake up. She must have been deep in thought to not hear him move or awaken.

“Hey, Mama” Ranboo rasped out.

The dragon hybrid turned around in shock, suddenly taken out of her thoughts, and locked eyes with her son, “Oh Boo, my baby.” A tear fell out of her eye as her smile stretched across her face, “Oh my baby, You are awake.” She leaned forward and pulled him up into a hug that Ranboo happily returned. He felt tears leaving his own eyes as her scent flooded his nose. The feeling of home and safety finally overwhelmed him as he clutched to his Mama. He felt her hand brush through his locks. They held each other for a moment. Ranboo enjoying the moment of peace after the hell he had been through. But his mother sadly, but gently undid the embrace. As the prince pulled back his face was cupped by his Mama as he looked lovingly into his eyes, more tears coming out. “Oh my Boo, my darling. You are back home.” She pulled his head forward and rested his forehead against hers. After another moment of peace, she finally pulled away. Ranboo was confused until he saw her face. 

“Where is the potion Ranboo?” 

Ranboo tried to play dum. “What potion Mama?”

“You know what potion I am talking about! Why is the potion gone? You know it is a family heirloom!” She shied as she pinched the bride of her nose. “Of all the things you were not supposed to take with yo-“

“Trust me Mama. It was put to good use!”

“Please tell me what good use a vial of the VOID ITSELF was for?”

“Oh so that's what it was-”

“Ranboo!”

“Hey, some green hunter named Dream was hunting me and Tommy” Ranboo felt like he had to downplay the whole story for his Mama. But he knew if he lied now to her, it would not help Tommy. “By throwing it in the hunters’ face was the only way to escape!”

“How….. Ranboo, oh gods his face.” there was horror in her eyes as she processed something he could not. “Ranboo, you can teleport! How was that the only way to escape?”

“I…. I honestly forgot about that.”

“RANBOO!!”

“I never teleported with anyone before Mama! I did not want to hurt Tommy!” His Mama sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as steam came out of her mouth. Ranboo crossed his arms and muttered back loud enough for her to hear, “And it would not have worked Mama. I can only teleport 5 feet, remember?”

“I remember Boo. I remember.” Mama sighed as she rubbed her temples, after a moment of silence, the queen let out a long sigh. She looked at her son, “Ranboo, I need to know. Why do you have an Enderfriend?”

Ranboo explains, for once not holding anything back to his Mama. “it started as soon as I found L’manburg. It was a democracy, I never saw one before, so I wanted to learn everything about it. So I looked into the history and found Tommy was there for it all. So I tried to find him. I tore up the whole land to find the great leader and warrior, and I found out he was exiled. 

Mama looked considered, “Tommy looks so young, how do children win wars for governments to form and later exile them?”

“I don’t know Mama. I don’t know.” They sat in for a minute before Ranboo continued. “I later followed the man I was told was to give him aid. But I saw the hunter, Dream by the way, destroy his food, tools, and shelter. I went down to the crater once he left. I offered Tommy a place to stay. But on a whim I made him an enderfirend. I wanted to protect him! Dream is a vile tyrant who was hunting Tommy for some unknown reason. I just wanted to protect him Mama.”

After a moment of silence, “Ranboo, do you even know what the potion does?”

“It’s like dragon's breath right? I ran out of my vials of venom, so I panicked ok; besides I’m here, I’m alive and Dreams probably dead by now.” 

“Ranboo! That wasn’t dragon’s breath venom; it might have looked similar, but it wasn’t!” Mama let out a breath, releasing her anger before continuing, “I love you Boo, I truly do but for once in your life could you have just thought this through?”

“I - I thought i did….”

The queen gave a heavy sigh, hands wringing at her dress as she spoke. “What has been done can not be reversed Ranboo.”

Ranboo rummages through his pockets, his hands wanting to fiddle with something as well. Then he felt the necklace in his pocket, In a plea for peace he decided to give her the gift. Once he finally has his gift carefully held in his claws, he reaches out and tugs at her sleeve, trying to get his Mama’s attention. Once she looks over to him holds out the necklace cradled in his palms.

Mama stops her lecture and looks at the gift and finally smiles again, “-just because you are trying to bribe me, does not mean you are not in trouble young man!“ She picked up the jewellery and looked closer at the necklace and mumbled under her breath, “Is this sea glass?”

“How do you know that is what it is?” After a moment of silence, Ranboo smiled back at his Mama, “And is it working?”

The queen let out a gasp of shock, her posture straitened and a hand rested against her chest. “I am a Queen young man! I know how to handle bribes!” Even with an accusatory tone, there was a smile on her lips and happiness glinting in her eyes.

Ranboo sighs and smiles. He listens to her rant about bribes, glass, and court politics as he relaxes into the pillows and feels safe once more.

Suddenly the pair stopped talking and listened. They looked to the door as they listened to the odd sound. And at the same time, they looked at each other in shock.

“Boo dear, are the endermen…...Chirping?”

Ranboo nodded in happiness. The endermen must be with Tommy!

“TOMMY!” Ranboo yelled in a sudden strike of anxiety. Bolting out of the bed and sprinting to the sound. He completely forgot to tell Tommy ANYTHING! Tommy could not even communicate with the endermen. Oh no this was going to be bad! Ranboo prayed to every god he knew that Tommy did not kill any of his half-kin in the palace. That was not an easy fix.

Now that he thinks about it, there was no fix to that. 

Ranboo ran into the room with mama right behind him. Almost breaking down the door to get in. and stopped dead at what he saw.

Tommy was currently sleeping in the middle of an enderman cuddle puddle. Now Ranboo has never been a part of a cuddle puddle before. But from what he sees before him, it looked like a textbook definition of a cuddle puddle. Some endermen growled at the intruders, but stopped immediately as soon as they saw the royals. The Queen looked on as the endermen slowly hid the human from her. The silence from the room became heavy, both sides not wanting to break it first. 

But the silence was broken as soon as Ranboo heard a groan from the pile of endermen. The endermen chirped more as Tommy stirred, some coming forward with gifts to show his opening eyes.   
Ranboo felt his heart rate rise as he realized that Tommy was now going to wake up in a room chock-full of endermen. His eyes locked on to Tommy as the human was looking around in disbelief at all that was around him. As soon as their eyes met, Tommy stared at him. And all Ranboo could do is give a nervous wave back.

“Hey Ranboo, mind telling me why I am surrounded by endermen and not women?”

Ranbo laughed while his Mama giggled at the joke. The tension and anxiety seeping out of him as he felt a bit more relaxed about Tommy's take on the situation.“You are taking this surprisingly well.”

“Ranboo, I am taking nothing well from what happened to me in the last 3 days.” Tommy looked around him as the enderman held him and more endermen placed blocks around him. “But this is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me. And at this point I think my brain has just overloaded with emotions and I can’t really find the ability to freak out anymore. Oh are they going to eat me?” he turns and looks to the queen, “Oh hello lady! My name is Tommy Innit.”

Mama giggles at the sight, “it’s wonderful to meet you Tommy I’m... well you probably wouldn’t be able to pronounce my native name without chest growls, but I’ve gone by many names while living in overworld over the years. So you may call me either Kristen or Clara if you wish to spare your vocal folds.” she gave a soft smile, her voice full of warmth saying the names “I’m quite fond of those two names. It would be an honour to be called one of them again.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONGRATULATIONS TO TOMMY FOR FINALLY MAKING IT TO THE END!!! this was a long time coming, and it only gets better from here on out! 
> 
> i would also like to mention one more thing, Blackhomesun321 is now a co-writer in this fic! i could not do this without her, And Sun. i thank you from the bottom of my heart for leting me word vomit to you at random times. you are a blessing.


	6. A Father's Grief

Philza stared out the door. Out to the podium which held Technoblade’s mangled crown. The one Dream trudged up to, clothes burnt and eyes black as coal. It looked like he was in a fight he barely won. Dream kept rambling about things Philza could not understand. He got into a fight with Fundy and poor Tubbo on the stage as he started a strange decree. Philza was amused at the whole thing, yelling things out from his house to irritate the president as he was still sore about his house arrest. But when Dream slammed the remains of the crown down and announced the last of his children were dead……

A parent who outlives their children is an unnatural thing, there is no pain that is greater. His soul cried for his heart which never stopped beating for a moment.

He turned from the door and sat down by the fireplace. Not wanting to look at the bent and bloodied crown for a second longer. There was sound from outside. Fighting and yelling he could not process. There was ringing in his ears and a tiredness in his bones. He just stared into the fire as it turned into ashes. The room darkened around him as he remembered only an hour ago. The explosion from the mountains must have been the fight.

Or Techno’s last stand, his mind bitterly supplied.

He would murder Dream to take his life to bring back his children. It was only fair, Dream killed his family. He pressed his palms to his eyes as he banished that thought out of his mind. Respawn magic was dangerous. And by the looks of it, Dream was dying anyway.

He poured himself the last of the tea that he brewed for Ranboo and sat in silence. The tea was cold but Philza could not tell.

Philza could feel tears fall down his face as he was trapped in his own thoughts. His grief overwhelmed him as he stared into the ashes of the fireplace. The grief turns to rage, turns to helplessness because there is nothing he can do. Not any more. There is no shining tower of government to blame, no single person he can point his hate towards. Just him alone, and isn’t that horrific.

At least he got to say goodbye to Wilbur-

His tea cup shakes beneath his grip any second it will start to crack like the breaking in his heart, he waits for the snap, for the shards of porcelain to cut into the meat of his hand. When it doesn’t, when the grief bubbles over the rage the helplessness turns into his arm swinging back and throwing the cup and watching it shatter against the wall instead.

Philza watched as the tea slowly dripped down the wall. The pattern reminded him of blood pouring out of a wound. The smell of sweet lavender was replaced by copper. He looked at his hands as he looked for blood once again. When he looked up all he could see was stone walls. He heard a fight going on around him, but he wanted no part of it. He thought of his son who he’d never buried. Sealed within his room of madness to rot. Philza thought back to how his family used to be. How one son died, and how that number rose within a night.

His axe was summoned to his hands as he stood and swung at his chests in a blind rage. He was numb as his home was destroyed from within by his own hand.  
  
He leaned against the hearth as he huffed. His lungs begging for air as he felt his blood boil still. His arms now sore and his heart still beating. Legs becoming weak, unable to hold himself upright any more. He slid down, not caring about the pain to his wings beneath his overcoat. As he looked at all the destruction he caused, he was for once uncaring of anything within the walls. Hugging his knees to his chest as he listened to his heartbeat ring out in his ears.

Techno was dead. Tommy was dead.

Like Wilbur, they would have no funeral. They would have no grave-

Philza felt something like claws rip apart his heart. He curled up by the fireplace and finally wept. He knew he was not the best father. Deep down, he never tried to do anything to earn that title. He tried as much as he could. But dammit the regret and guilt was eating him alive. He should have done better. He would be better to his children. If only one was alive he would. But there was none left. He had a small hope that they were ghosts and not gone completely. He could at least ask for their forgiveness. And not have the memory of what was never said keep him in despair.

Philza closed his eyes and reached out to the lone surviving teacup with leftover tea. He had a strong craving for whiskey, but had no energy to get any. Philza just drank not caring that it had Ranboo’s medicine in it from what he could taste. He silently pleaded to any God that he ever heard of. With the wish he could just go. He prayed and begged for some deity with ears to let him leave his house and make a grave for his son-

His eyes flew open when he felt snow on his damaged wings. They were under his coat so how-

He was outside.

How was he outside?

Philza looked around, he was to the back of his house. He somehow was outside without his hat, shoes, overcoat,-

He had no ankle bracelet.

He could run.

Nobody would know-

Philza bolts into the woods to Techno’s home. Now that he looked, he saw smoke rising and covering the moonlight.

His feet move on their own. Adrenaline flowing through him as his eyes were locked on the smoke that covered the moon. He continued to pray to every deity in every language he knew for the small hope that he would not make a grave for one of his sons.

As the temperature drops his feet start to send needle like pricks of pain up from his heels and up his nervous system. He dodges an outcrop of sharp stones eyes still locked on to the smoke rising into the sky, mind going numb at the implications.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finding the remains of the house isn’t hard, Philza knows the way by heart. Could find his way there blindfolded if he needed to, he still follows the smoke, still can’t lift his eyes from the lazy trail of white and greys streaking through the sky like thin ribbons. As he gets closer the smell of burning wood and smoke hits the back of his nose and causes his eyes to start watering, a sign he is finally getting close. By the time his bare feet have gone from aching to numb he finally manages past the tree line to see Technos’ cottage-

It’s completely destroyed.

There was a roof on the stone foundation. No walls were left except for the chunks of stone scattered outwards. There were ender eyes everywhere in the snow. A heavy smell of honey beer had seeped in the air. Like the walls, there was no stone chimney left. He could see items scattered and destroyed from chests long gone.

Philza didn’t know what he was expecting. Dream had had Technos’ crown but some part of him, the part that had seen Techno— had seen his son take on army’s and come out victorious, had chanted and believed, ‘Technoblade never dies!’ At a thousand tournaments- expected Technoblade to be sitting singed but otherwise okay, sword and wet stone in hand as he sharpened his blade, face annoyed as he looked up, eyebrow raised as he asked Phil what took him so long?

There is no reunion, no tears of joy and relief , just the empty silence of a winter night, and a destroyed cabin.

Philza collapses in grief and cries. Grief and anguish consumes his entire being. He lay silent and unmoving as he laid out in the snow. He hears nothing but a ringing in between his ears. It was as if the hope had been ripped out of his chest and mauled before his eyes.

With some strength he crawls over to the rubble to at least find the body, his legs are too weak. His arms shook as he pulled himself up the stairs.  
He sees a hoved hand in the rubble. A scream of horror never left him; but his tears did. He crawls over and tries to pull the body out with the little strength he had. Tears freezing on his face as he planned for a burial in the nether. He and techno talked it over once, and he was determined to honour that request.

As soon as he gets the body to move an inch, he sees an enderman covering the body, impaled in places, and makes eye contact.

It is Edward.

Philza froze, he felt his wings puff up on instinct. Edward let out a chirp. Something Philza never heard before, and was beyond shocked as the trapped enderman pushed the body forward.

Philza grabs the bloody dress shirt, his arm hovering over the face-

His heart stops and his mind blanks.

There is a heartbeat and breath against his palm.

He lets out a wail and hunches over his son. Falling like a rag doll as he felt his body shake with his cries. Joy exploded within him. Overshadowing his grief as he wept.

He feels a hand on his scarred wing and his head snaps up, shocked at the sudden touch.

The enderman lets out a sound. The inky arms start to shake as the being starts to fall from the weight of the ruins.

Philza suddenly found the strength to back away with his son. Dragging the both of them out of the rubble and collapsing into the snow. He watched transfixed as the remaining roof collapsed on Edward. Killing the Endermen with little fanfare or sound.

He holds Techno close to his chest. Eyes still locked on the wreckage. Tucking the piglin head under his chin as he closed his eyes. Holding his son close as he felt the heartbeat. Under his palms. Small breaths making small clouds. Philza openly cried as he held on, his heart and soul cried out in relief.

For once, his son was alive in his arms. And by the Gods, he will stay alive.

He pulled back and cradled Techno’s head while checking him over for any injuries. He saw none besides a few scrapes and scratches from the wood. There was a large lump on the back of his head that concerned him. He laid Techno down in the snow hoping the cold from the ice would help stop the swelling.

Philza looked to the wreckage once more and scanned it to see if any supplies survived. Seeing nothing he stood, his strength returned to him as he now had to save his last surviving son. He ran to the side of the foundation, trying to see if Techno had the sense to have a secret basement entrance from the outside.

As he walked around barefoot, he felt a handle under the snow. He dropped and dug under the snow until he unearthed the trapdoor. He ripped the door open and threw himself down the hatch. After a moment of falling he grabbed a rung of the ladder as soon as he was close to the ground. Looking around Philza smiled as he saw chests of gear in the unlit hole.

When his feet hit the ground, his feet felt another hidden door. He opened the trapdoor and was hit with the smell of fermenting berries. It was sweeter than what he smelled above, so a hidden stash of beer must have been above.

Philza closed the trapdoor with a sigh, his mind processing new information as he gathered items. If Techno was drunk while fighting Dream with a rocket launcher, then he must have been drunk off his arse for him to miss the neon green form to hit fucking beer kegs. He grumbled under his breath as he climbed one armed to the surface with all the items he deemed necessary.

When he runs back to the piglin form laid prone in the snow, he starts to tend to the wounds he saw. As he does, his thoughts wander back to how he was blessed with the miracle of freedom. He removed splinters and wrapped wounds as he thought to the moment of closed eyes and cold tea-

The thought clears the tendrils of euphoria and joy clinging to his mind like a fog, it’s just enough for the part of him that is logical, that is curious to question this miracle of teleporting.

And he knew it was teleportation, he’d felt the pull in his gut like a hook yanking on his internal organs that was so similar to throwing an ender pearl. It must have been from the End, Philza's concluded. It was only after drinking from Ranboo’s cup that he wound up outside. His hands stilled for a moment as a thought came to him. The only thing that one could ingest and give you the ability to teleport was Corus fruit… but how?

The tea. Ranboo was part endermen, he was allergic to water. It would make sense he would have Corus fruit on him.

Philza had to stop his thoughts as he felt a chilled breeze on his uncovered scarred wings. Looking around, he gathered his son into his arms and proceeded to transport him to the remains of the empty horse stall. Hoping the remaining hay and roof would be good enough for a temporary shelter. Once techno was covered with a blanket, Philza sat next to his son and held the hoved hand. Rubbing his thumb over the closing fingers, Relief flowed through him as he felt a faint heartbeat. He let his mind wander unrestrained.

Philza had tasted Corus fruit only once before. It was near impossible to get any in the overworld. The trees only being able to survive in the dark recesses of the end itself. So could someone like Ranboo get a hold of Corus fruit, Could he somehow be able to teleport to the end? And maybe-maybe if he could be able to teleport there, he could bring things back? So it’s not impossible that he had a few dried pieces of Corus fruit, that very illegal, very rare substance. But would Ranboo be crazy enough to have something so valuable on his person, even here? Were even mentioning the end could get you weird looks and backwards fearful glances at Dream. Would the enderman hybrid be so bold?

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time Philza had met someone who used Corus fruit in that way before.

He shook his head as he brushed his contemplating thoughts away as he held on to his son. But the memories did not go away, he suddenly was unable to escape his head. The sheer grief and joy he had experienced within the last hour now left him to his tired and bitter memories. He tried to think of raising his children but all he could see is a ghost and a blood god. He tried to hope that Tommy was alive, but he was unable to ignore his guilt that crashed down upon him. Tears fell down his face as he felt no air in his lungs-  
  
“Dad?”  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Edward is dying

They look down to the piglin, the one who the prince trusted to care for the enderfriend.

The piglin who gave his life to protect them from the Green Hunter. Who was knocked down to the fireball of his invention.

When the Bastion fell, Edward left his kin and tried to save the piglin. But was struck down when the hunter came back for the piglin.

Edward was ashamed that it was a small fight, but they were glad they shattered the white cover on the Hunter.

Small victories.

They wished his kin was nearby. They were alone. There were no growls or chirps of the mob surrounding them. No comforting presence in their mind giving comfort in their final hour.

They did not know if the enderfriend got to the end.

They could teleport to the end and get help, at least tell everyone that the piglin was alive.

But the spikes in their chest told them otherwise.

The chill of the dark comforted them.  
They prayed that the endfri-

A sound was heard, and then the piglin moved.

Edward looked up and was shocked to their core.

They saw the enderfriend.

Blond fur and sky orbs, identical to the enderfriend.

It HAD to be, Edward felt hope within them as they knew the prince and the enderfriend were safe if they were able to come back.

With a chirp he pushed forward the piglin. Happy his fight with the Hunter helped the Prince in the end.

As soon as one claw left the floor, the other became weak. With a groan they tried to warn the Enderfriend of the danger of staying.

As they fell, they were happy they helped.

And then Edward collapsed.

The void embraced them, welcoming Edward into its open arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOP! EARLY AGAIN!! I hope everyone enjoys the answer to the main question you all have been asking about Technoblade.  
> Boi is ALIVE!!!
> 
> hope you had a lovely little read!! I hope the next one will be as enjoyable as I hope this one is!


	7. A Day of Dragonmama

Ranboo and Tommy are talking, loud explosive chatter that fills the study as two enderman putter about along with the servants as they fill the boy's empty tea cups while dusting and cleaning where they can.

Clara sits next to a desk made of deep grey wood, one of the many forest trees that grow only at the end and in certain places in the nether. Paper’s made from corus root fibre lay in neat piles, a blaze lantern situated over head for light as she continues the arduous task of running a kingdom and making sure two mischief prone boys don’t start any trouble. Though she was currently and happily distracted from her work by quietly braiding Tommy’s hair. Once Tommy had a bath and untangled his hair, it was discovered his hair was about shoulder blade length. And with 3 days of him having the messiest buns Clara had ever seen, she sat him down and demanded she braid it. Tommy became quiet under her gentle hands as she wove charms and pleats into his scalp.

Soon Tommy demands a new hairstyle every day. Something Clara happily did. She even started to teach him how to do it on his own for the times she was not available.

She’d learned in the week that Tommy’s been here that while mischief might find Ranboo Tommy was usually the type of person to create it. It’s a strenuous task keeping both the boys from destroying the kingdom, luckily for her she has an entire realm for Tommy to explore and Ranboo to guide him.

Though this mid-morning they've taken to eating snacks and drinking tea and talking while she wove a new charm into Tommy’s hair. It was a new routine in her study, but one she welcomed with open arms. It was a nice change from their gallivanting from breakfast about to the farthest corners of the castle and coming back only for dinner, both exhausted, but smiles permanently plastered on their lips. If she thinks too hard on it, the way they’ve both bonded so quickly, how Tommy rarely leaves Ranboo’s side, and how Ranboo frets over Tommy’s slightest scrapes? Her mind will remind her of trauma bonds and both the tribulations having been subjected to these two children.

Clara watched her son talking but mostly tuned out of the conversation to think about the boy who was still for the moment while she tended to his hair. Her original take on the enderfriend was…. Well, as said before Tommy had the will of a human that will cause problems on purpose. But she was surprised as he seemed to be very relaxed about what was happening around him. Something that Clara was both amazed and deeply worried about. The things he told her about how he grew up…… Clara was tempted to make him part of her horde. Protected within her piles of glass and towers.

But from what Ranboo told her about him, she had no need to worry about the safety of Tommy. The endermen seemed to act like overprotective hens taking care of their chick. They were always nearby, always giving gifts. Tommy now had stacks and stacks of almost every block in existence. His room became covered in wood and bits of glowstone. Making a fake forest for the human to sleep in. Tommy was never alone. Once the endermen found out he could teleport with corus fruit, they tried to teach him to teleport. It was a fun sight until Tommy popped outside over the ledge of his rooms balcony. Clara put a stop to the lessons immediately. But she had a feeling they were still going on behind her back.

With a small smile as the charm was in place she started to listen to her son, “I can not think of a single thought. My brain is constantly making decisions without me.” Ranboo shrugged, something passed over his eyes, “Even making a deal that will never be repaid.”

Clara’s head whipped up to lock eyes with Ranboo, “What?”

“I- I made a deal. But I am unable to pay it back now-“

“Boo, that's unlawful. You must pay back the debt!” She scolds.

“Uhh, who is the debt to anyway?” Ranboo locked eyes with Tommy, the simple question seemed to shake him to his core. He seemed afraid of answering. Clara had a bad feeling in her gut.

“Oh gods above Boo, please tell me you did not make a deal with a drug lord or a rival kingdom!” She almost yelled out her worry. Hands leaving Tommy's head as she stood to get to eye level with her son.

“But the portal is broken Mama!” Ranboo seemed oddly relieved at that. Clara had a suspicion that Ranboo did not tell her the full story. If something that ancient and important is destroyed, why was Ranboo so happy? What did her son do? She sighed and placed her hand to her temple. Making a mental note to watch the endermen carefully and get them to sign to her every little detail they knew of.

“What was your side of the deal Ranboo?”

“Dragon’s breath.” He mumbles eye cast to the floor as his hand comes up to scratch the back of his neck embarrassed.

“You made a deal for your mother’s breath?” Tommy seemed to be absolutely loving that bit of information. Clara not so much.

“Ranboo you are the worst businessman. EVER!” He crowed in laughter.

“Ranboo, you HAVE to pay the man, woman, whoever back.” A deal was a deal. She thought bitterly. “If word got out that the future king did not keep a deal, the fallout could be irreversible!”

“But how would I get the breath to the overworld anyway?” Ranboo’s hands were now threaded in his curls as he pulled at his hair in anxiety, finally seeming to realized the issue that he caused. Again. “Mama, The portal is broken!”

Tommy stood up and looked around. As if he would find something in the study that would help Ranboo out of the situation he got himself into. He spotted an enderman walking through the doorway with a piece of gravel in its claws. Once the Endermen noticed it had Tommy’s attention, it glided over. Happily placing the block in front of Tommy and then walking away. Tommy bent down and picked up the gravel and watched as a piece of flint fell out. Tommy grins with sudden glee and whirled around to grab Ranboo by the elbows. Locking eyes with her son. “Oh Ranboo, I have a brilliant idea.”  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tommy’s brilliant idea was to stuff a block of endstone with a single bottle of dragon's breath. Then send the enderman back to the overworld and give it to whomever Ranboo had made the deal with.

It’s crazy but ingenious all the same.

Clara sighs, puts a rain check on a quiet day of tea while doing Tommy’s hair, and makes peace with the fact tomorrow’s paperwork will be hellish.

Clara had to give it to Tommy, his determination to actually figure out how to make the endstone drop bottles of her breath amazed her. And he seemed to be determined to do the whole stack

Looking on from her corner surrounded by glass bottles, she watched Tommy raccooning the bottles into the blocks. While filling them up, she looked to Ranboo trying to sign the endermen on what the plan exactly is. They seemed confused at first, but then they seemed to become more excited. Anything to do with placing blocks where they needed to go was always a major event. For her towers to be built it took weeks for her kingdom to even place a single block. Wanting every piece to be practically perfect for the next generation to see.  
  
“So uhh who’s your dad Ranboo or other mom, if you have two moms that’s super Pog!” Tommy states blunt as ever- Clara snorts and almost ruins everyone's day by spitting venom everywhere, instead she corks the latest bottle spilling wax over to seal it shut and replies.

“Sorry dear, it’s just me and Ranbo no one else.” It can get lonely just being them, but they’ve always had each other and that’s what counts. Besides they also have Tommy now; and that makes the ache for a bigger family a little less.

“Yep!” Ranboo pops the ‘P’ and does a complicated hand gesture that Clara remembers to be snow before twisting into forest. “I’m adopted actually, it was before I hatched so I don’t remember it, but she was newly made queen and my older parents had died, so she made the decision to take me in and raise me to be the next ruler.”

Tommy without missing a beat takes in this new information and continues on his rambles, “My older brothers are adopted, so that’s pretty Pog seeing as you're like Techno now-” Tommy chatters on. Somehow going on a completely different tangent about ants. Clara rolls her eyes, but can’t help the smile that quirks her lips as she fills another bottle.

“Wait- wait” Clara’s attention was now focused on her son. As if he figured out something very important. “Are you saying Technoblade?” Ranboo stopped his movements while staring at Tommy, “THE Technoblade is your brother.”

“Yeah we’d get that reaction a lot..” Tommy’s shoulders bunch up, a shaky breath was heard “or.. We… we did..”

Clara stilled, a glass bottle rising to her lips but nothing came out. Her breath seemed to be stilled in her throat, as she felt something change in the air. She slowly removed the bottle and asked, “Who is Technoblade?”

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say as Tommy locks eyes with her and then bolts out of the room. Clara stands. Empty glass settling down on to the counter top. Ranboo lurches up to run after but Clara’s faster and catches his shoulder with her hand.

“Boo, distract the enderman so they don’t follow-“

“But mom, he needs my help. I messed this up. I brought up Techno and he was doing so much better and-“ Ranboo is panicking and any minute now she’s going two have distressed children on her hands if she doesn’t stop this in it’s track. Turning him around, Clara places both her hands on his shoulders looking him in the eyes.

“Ranboo-“ she starts, voice calm and clear. “this wasn’t your fault, if anything it was mine now please distract the endermen. I’ll be back in a second ok.”

“Ok.’ He breaths, still fighting the urge to go run after Tommy, she understands better than most the urge to protect what she cares for. It’s in their blood but moderation to everything and when dealing with trauma things usually needed a gentler touch then a good meaning but panicking friend.

She kisses Ranboo on his forehead before leaving to follow after. Sometimes people need to be alone to process emotions and fear but she has a feeling that wouldn’t be best for someone like Tommy having a breakdown. It's better to check and be safe than sorry later.

She’s lived a long time, she understands the grief in Tommy’s eyes. She has seen a lot to know these child soldiers are traumatized beyond what normal adults can process- she herself knows that pain when looking in the mirror. And she knows through trial and error, ‘mostly error’ how to help.

She finds Tommy curled into himself, his back to a wall under a window. The light almost seemed to be pointing out the boy for her to see. She heard his ragged breaths and shuttering sobs. Trying not to make too much sound, she crouched down and placed a hand on his back. She was fully expecting him to rip himself from her touch much like Ranboo as a child. But he only leaned into her touch. She opened her arms and gathered Tommy into a hug. Holding him close as he sobbed. A small memory of when she was crying once floated to her mind. The sunlight hurting her eyes while a pair of wings shielded her from the world. Copying the memory, one of her wings unfurled and shielded Tommy from the light coming in from the window.

“Tommy, can you hear me?” Tommy nodded his head and Clara let out a breath. She loosened her arms around the kid as she started to rub small circles into his back.“That's good. That's very good.” She smiled at the boy in her arms as she felt his rushing heart under her fingertips.

“Tommy, Can you name 5 things you can see?” Tommy gave her an odd look, but she just covered her worry as she asked again, her tone coming out a little than a whisper, “Tommy, can you please name 5 things you can see?”

“Um…” Tommy seemed to gaze around and very quietly listed off some items, “-the pillars, stone, my shoes…...the glass….” He looked around the barren hallway before looking to Clara and blurting out “Your eyes...” His face flushed red, and he buried it in his knees again. Clara let out a small giggle and continued her designs on his back. After a moment she unfurled both of her wings and wrapped Tommy and herself in a makeshift tent. Tommy uncurled a bit from his ball and slowly reached out to the wings. But stopped his hand and started to retract it. Clara then reached out and gently took his hand. Her thumb in his palm and let his hand close around her finger. After a moment, she slowly moved his hand to her wing. Letting his knuckles brush against her scales.

“Tommy, can you tell me 4 things you can feel?”

“Your wing, your hand, my shoes…….. And” There was less hesitation in his voice as he answered her question this time. Closing his eyes and focused he finally said, “And the floor.”

She smiled at him as the tension seemed to slowly flow from him. Now leaning into her touches she continued her questions. She pulled his hand back from her wing, but did not remove his hand for her own. “Can you now tell me 3 things you can hear?”

Tommy furrowed his eyebrows and he closed his eyes. There were small sounds of castle life around them that Clara could hear and name from her heart. But she waited patently as Tommy put names to them. “I hear...Uh.. endermen teleporting…. The windows shaking… and...Uh....” Clara flapped her wings a bit, “Oh! Your wings!”

Clara giggled at his newfound enthusiasm. “Very good Tommy! Now, what are 2 things you can smell?”

“Uhhh….” Tommy was caught off guard for only a moment. “Me and you.”

A laugh found its way out of her mouth as Tommy looked very proud of himself. “Final question Tommy, name 1 thing you can taste.”

“Tea.”

“Very good. Thank you for answering the questions Tommy.” Tommy smiled at her and leaned his head on her shoulder. She continued to trace designs on his back as his breathing and heartbeat evened out. Closing her eyes as she basked in the small moment of Tommy’s heartbeat. Her eyes flew open when she felt a touch on her wing. She smiled as she saw Tommy reach out and started to trace her scales.

Clara reached out and grasped Tommy’s hand, pulling it close again and making Tommy look to her.“Tommy, do you want to talk about it? Or do you want to be distracted?”

I…. I Don’t… I..” Tommy’s breath hitched, “I can't right now…. I am sorry I just…”

“Hey hey hey,” Clara pulled Tommy into another hug, cradling him in arms and nuzzling her chin on his head. “You do not have to explain anything if you do not want to. You do not have to apologize for anything.” She pulled back and saw that Tommy seemed to be falling asleep. She smiled at him as he started to drift off. Pressing their foreheads together she whispered, “I adopted Ranboo and I love him. I can adopt you and love you as well”  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranboo yawns as he heads to his room, after today he's going to need his rest, he’d apologized to Tommy of course when him and his mom came back, and the human had forgiven him without reparations or recourse, merely left him with a small smile and a ‘you didn’t mean it.’ They managed through some awkward silences to finish up the last blocks, and by the time they were done dinner was but an hour away and most of that was spent trying to fall back in a comfortable routine of bantering and jokes. It worked somewhat, but as night had rolled around Ranboo was emotionally exhausted and happy to flop into bed and pass out.

As he’s turning the last corner to his room he sees that his bedroom door is open. And sitting on his bed, watching the dark void outside the window is his mother. Oh no oh no! He’s in big trouble, the only time she’d enter his room like this was for a parent talk and he nope he’s not doing that tonight. He swiftly turns around wincing at the small scuff his shoe makes.

“Ranboo.” Of course she heard, Void he should have just teleported.

Smoothing out his shirt and shaking out his fingers Ranboo braces himself for the serious conversation he knows is about to happen and enters his room.

His mother is still seated on his bed but her head is now turned his way, eyes filled with something he was hesitant to call wariness.

“Come sit, we have to talk.” She motions to the space besides herself. As he settles in, hands landing in his lap, eyes flicking around the room trying to look at anything else, she starts to speak again. “Ranboo I’m here to talk about the poison you used in the overworld and the consequences of that action.”

This stills his fidgeting, his gaze finally settles on her in confusion. “But why now? It’s been a week? Shouldn’t we have had this talk a while ago?”

“I was originally going to keep this away till Tommy had more time to settle in but I finally was able to get the story out from one of the enderman and-“ her voice goes quiet and Ranboo’s blood goes cold oh she knows. She knows everything. She-she-

“And-what, I didn’t? Mom I didn’t have any other choice it was me or him I’m sorry you know I am I.. know you are mad-“

But she cuts him off, hand curling into his for comfort. “Ranboo I’m not mad at you. You know I will never be mad at you for anything but-” and he braces himself for the ‘I am just disappointed’, but what comes out is something that chills him to his bones.

“I am terrified.”

He sits shocked. And finally manages to make out her piercing stare. It wasn’t wariness in her eyes, it was fear.

She breathes out harshly, and in the silence of the room it sounds like the crack of a glacier. “You stealing the poison and using it in any other circumstances, I would be disappointed in you and this would have been a year-long grounding. But from what the enderman have fully debriefed me on what happened in the overworld. Ranboo this is something worse-possibly worse than imagined. And I don’t know if I can fix it.”

Ranboo doesn’t mean to lash out, but his mom is terrified of this. His Mama who could crush men in her claws, who’d protected him under her wings since he could remember, she was safety and the knowledge that nothing in the world could touch her. Because she was his mom. And maybe it’s also the shame like bile in the back of the throat, that he feels cornered and afraid as well, maybe it’s the fact he thought she’d understand; she wouldn’t judge. So his mind freaks and his own panic turns to anger, and he lashes out.

“Why does it matter? Dreams probably dead by now. Right? You said it was a poison, and a poison that sacred should kill him so..so what does it matter if he's dead? And he is not coming back, and he can’t hurt us— and did you want us to die? It was him or me, and I’m sorry your son is a killer mom but-“ her hands grasp his own once again. In his anger he’d yank them apart standing and ranting as he paced. But the cold of her skin is a brand against the heat of his own, and Ranboo notices the scales appearing along his arms, the weight of wings pushing against his spine demanding release. How each breath is laced with something sweet and rotting, like plum wine.

“Boo, hatchling. It’s ok, you're ok.” He shutters and swallows the venom accumulating on the back of his tongue, grasping his mother’s hand tight, and forces himself to focus on the beat of his heart and his mother’s voice as she speaks.

“It's not death that worries me Ranboo, and I am so sorry I made you think that was what I was worried about. I understand life or death situations, and I do not blame you nor am I disappointed in you in any way shape or form. You made the right decisions in that impossible situation, the only decision you could have made, and I’m grateful that you made it, that you are here alive and breathing. I am so happy I may hold you after everything.” By the time he’s calmed he can feel the exhaustion of the weight of that guilt lift from his shoulders. Tears prick at the corner of his eyes as his Mama opens her arms for a hug that Ranboo gladly falls into, bearing his tears of relief into the folds of her dress.

“It’s not the death Ranboo.” She repeats, hand curling through his hair, it reminds him of older days, when he was smaller, and she’d do the exact same thing after nightmares. “It’s the lack of it.”

“What?” He mumbles, face lifting away from her shoulder in confusion.

If her eyes had been panicked before, now they are flint. Intensity dragging his attention like a ship drawn to a lighthouse in a storm. And what she speaks sends a chill through his blood, like a sense of some yawning horror beyond the next turn.

“Ranboo, what do you know about Dreamons?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Philza runs through the forest. The moonlight was hiding his way as he hunted wild deer and cattle. Techno became paranoid of anyone finding him alive when he was “dead”. Even hiding in a cave underground, He refused to have any sort of animal farm. Afraid of the animal's sounds would alert others of them underground.

He understood the fear, but he wanted some meat. And they needed wood anyway. So a quick trip was planned. Techno would have come, but he has a slight limp from the explosion, so he stayed down below with Philza’s insistence.

As he was chopping his last tree for the trip, he heard a crack behind him. He dropped the logs he was carrying and fled. Leaping over the underbrush and zig zagging into the forest. Trying to lose whoever was following him. It was times like this when he longed to fly again-

In a foolish misstep while dwelling on the past, he tripped and fell.

His wings unfurled and covered him in a desperate attempt for safety.

He covered his mouth with his palm to muffle his breaths.

After a moment of silence he raised his head to look around. Thinking that he was just paranoid. But was surprised as his eyes landed on an endermen. His hand twitched to summon his sword, but he hesitated. After Edward’s sacrifice, he vowed to never harm another endermen. To his relief the endermen let out a small chirp and poofed away.

To Philza’s shock, more endermen surrounded him and started placing blocks all around him. There were endermen popping by him, placing a block, and then leaving. Philza soon found himself surrounded in a stone he had never seen before. Then once he was trapped in a pile of stone, he heard them teleport away. Philza bit back a groan as he started to break a block-

The block dropped glass bottles of dragon's breath?

Philza is now very confused.  
He broke another and another and another. More bottles of dragon’s breath dropped. Soon he was out of the mound of the strange stone. He looked at the small pile of glowing bottles cradled in his arms with awe. Never in his lifetime of studies of the end has he ever come across anything like what just happened to him. He turned around to look at the strange sight and his heart stopped.

There was someone in black and red standing on top of the unbroken blocks. As blue eyes locked into white orbs, the horned figure smirked back.

“Philza Minecraft.” the being chuckled, “You are a hard man to find.”

Philza summoned his sword and leveled it at the being, eyes narrowing as he growled out, “I never wanted to be found Dreamon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!! Well, this chapter is very early (Comments motivate us!). So congratulations on the surprise treat! me and Sun had a great deal of fun making this wonderful piece for you all. The one sad bit is now you have to wait longer for the next chapter........
> 
> OH WELL!


	8. Fear and Hope

Bad stopped at the cliff edge and looked to L’manburg. He saw a green dot scurry along the Obsidian walls being built. From the look of it Dream was placing blocks at an inhuman speed.

He was slightly impressed.

“What the….” Turning to the hybrid next to him, he almost laughed at the look on Philza’s face.

“Told you it was important.” He gloated to his wide-eyed and slack-jawed companion. It only took 5 minutes to convince Philza to follow him. He knew the sword would never leave his hand as long as he was near. And honestly he was ok with that.

“You were not lying….”

Bad chuckled. Thoughts and memories filtered through his head as he remembered the last time he saw a dome like this. He felt a tension in the air from the sight. But he did not let it show. “Come on Mr. Minecraft, you have studied the Dreamon war and the End to the entirety of all the overworlds knowledge.” He nudged the man as he staggered forward, “What do you think of this?” His smile fades as he saw the look in Philza’s eyes. The man seemed to be trapped in his own memories.

“How long has he been building that?” Bad shrugged, taking a moment to seat himself comfortably in the grass to watch the world's most boring horror show. Philza sitting right next to him to stare as well. His wings Bad noticed seemed to be quivering. Almost as if he wanted to fly.

“About a few days. Give or take,” Bad waggled a hand back and forth in uncertainty, “-from the looks of it he’s going to the block limit.”

“I am surprised you’re not helping him-“ Philza accused, eyes locked onto Bad’s own, suspicion built from years hiding and fighting coming to the forefront.

“HEY, I may be a Dreamon, but I would never make one of those! I have standers, you muffin head.” Bad defended flicking said muffin head on the forehead for good measure. Philza flinching back in surprise at the physical contact.

“Excuse my caution, but I have never met one who has not tried to drag me to their dome to join their ‘Family’ Bad.” Philza was obviously still suspicious, but Bad just brushed it off. He made sure his recent behaviour would not set off that he would attack the man. The pair just looked on, the silence was comfortable until Philza sighed.

“I have studied the end for a lifetime, you wouldn't have sought me out if you didn't know that much.” Bad did know, he probably knew who Philza Minecraft was better than anyone else on this server. “And that right there. That is the worst creation out of any realm in creation.”

“And I have brought you here to show you exactly what is being created. You know better than any other being in this realm besides another Dreamon ‘WHAT’ that creation is!” It was so rare these days to find someone who even knew of Dreamon lore, much less lore from the end. Bad thought himself luckily to find someone who wouldn’t kill him immediately who he could talk to about this, and for them to entirely understand the consequences.

“Why did you not find me sooner?” Philza asked. Bad couldn’t help the chuff that leaves his mouth. A man who's been running and hiding from Dreamons for years asks why a Dreamon can’t find him, hilarious.

“According to you, ‘you never wanted to be found.’ so it took me a while to track you down. And since you ditched your communicator I couldn’t get in contact with ya. I was only able to find you when the endermen trapped you. Thank the void for that. I thought it was just walled in at first by the town for protection from mobs. But once I saw Dream putting it up in that shape, I knew what it was immediately.” Bad flopped down into the grass, hoping it'll take his mind somewhat off the figure walking around the wall making it higher and higher, and looked up at the sky, watching the stars twinkle between the black of the night.

It reminds him of home.

“Dream is a Dreamon.” Philza spat the word like a curse. Okay ow, “I should have known……..”-but all things considered fair enough. Phil’s eyes flickered back to Dream, then to the ground in realization and horror of what the servers' admin actually was.

“Ehh don’t feel too bad, He hid it well. Sometimes I even forget.” It surprised Bad how easy Dream could slip into the world of humans, blending and masking his own inhumanity to the point Bad had almost forgotten on occasion. Bad couldn’t do that as well physically or mentally, blending hadn’t ever been his strong suit. “Then he pulls something like this, and it is too obvious. I tried to teach him a better-different way but… It’s a temptation all us Dreamons face. I had just hoped he could find it in himself to not take the easy road out.” And it was times like these, meeting those young precocious Dreamons born beyond the end that it dawned on him how old he was getting.

“I have not seen something like that in years……” Speaking of age, Void. The last Dreamon to be so bold to try this out in the open had been-

“About 50 I think.” He mused. Wow, how had time flown by so fast?

“What?” Philza questioned. Bad turned his head to stare at Phil, incredulous and a little amused.

“It has been 50 years since the war Philza. I have to say, you are looking good for 80!” The immortal jokes. They rarely had time for dates and calendars, so he wasn’t surprised that Phil had forgotten a few years. Thank the Void Skeppy had wanted to keep up on birthdays, or he probably would have forgotten as well.

“I am 82…..”

“Yep,” Bad pops the ‘p’ and rolls to his side, hand propping his head up to watch the avian hybrid better, “-about 50 years.”

“50 years…” Philza repeated in shock.  
Bad plucked a few strands of grass, rolling them between his fingers in curious contemplation. “So, who did you bond to?“

“Bond?”

“Don’t play dumb with me Mr ‘I have studied the end for a lifetime!’” Bad poked. It was probably meaner then he wanted it to be, but his was patience running a little thin. He got being cautious when with a could be enemy, but denying being bonded? He must have thought Bad stupid. Whoever bonded this guy must have unbelievable forbearance.

“Lifetime.” Philza repeated. Again.

“Oh will you stop repeating every word I am saying?” Bad huffed before getting a good look at his face. Seeing the shock in his eyes, hearing the tone in Philza’s voice. Was he actually serious?

“Do you really not know?” If not that would mean well- that could mean a lot of things, concerning things. One of which was whoever had bonded Philza, hadn’t told him.

“Not until now. I didn't even notice.” Phil looks at his hand flipping it back and forth staring at his own flesh and blood, as if he’d never truly seen it before.

“Who are they? They must have loved you in some measure for you to not age.” Bad observed. Maybe the bond was incomplete? Cause that would explain it.

“Was it one of your kids?”

“Never.” The hybrid hissed, insulted. Some fethers puffing up as if preparing for an attack.

“Ok ok, geez not your kids.” he held up his hands in mock surrender until the feathers he could see relaxed a bit. Once all was calm he asked, “Anyone else? It doesn’t have to be romantic ya know.” Bad and Skeppys relationship is proof of that, not that Philza would know.

“I do not want to-you brought me here for a reason. Bad, You are showing me something that is from wartime.” Bad noticed the deflect but let it slide. ‘Bigger fish’ he reminded his curious brain.

“Look, I have no idea what Dream is planning in the long run, but you know what that does. We both know what it entails for all who are in the walls.” The Dreamon gestured at his kin for emphasis.

“You want me to help?” Why is Philza so surprised? He’s the only other ‘besides Skeppy,’ on this whole server who understands all the connotations of all of this. So of course Bads asking for help.

“Look, if Dream wants to do something, he will do anything to complete it. This is a horrid thing for anyone to be involved in.” Bad knew Dream, and Bad knew Dreamons. There would be no stopping this without fighting, as terrible as that sounded; but someone had to at least try and put a stop to this.

“And if Dream actually completes it, he can respawn.” He placed his head in his palm, a practised motion Bad noted, ”That green bastard could respawn indefinitely.”

“Yep. Also language.”

“I hate respawn magic.” Philza snarls, scarred wings fluffing up in anger again.

“Well it seems to be working for you. Who are they seriously.” Bad asks again. Sue him he is curious, and obviously they must be somebody interesting to deal with the angel of death himself.

“If it is who I think it is, then she is no longer in this realm.” The connotations of that answer makes his blood go cold. Bad thinks of being separated from Skeppy and feels his soul revolt at the very idea. He makes a note to never bring up bonds ever again.

“Follow me,” Philza again deflects. Most likely compartmentalizing this entire conversation. Bad can’t blame him, the bombshells that have been dropped today are heavy. He only hopes his fellow immortal gets some time alone to unpack all of it. “I am sure Technoblade would be helpful in making a plan.”

With a wild grin Bad jumps to his feet and helps Philza up with a hand. “Well no time like the present, let’s go get my people and meet up with your son.”

They take one last look at Dream, his erratic movement as he runs across the wall soon to be dome.

Bad is a Dreamon, that doesn’t make him heartless, it does not make what he has to do to the only other one of his kind he’s found in a decade hurt any less. But he’ll do it anyway, because no one-no one deserves corrupted soul magic forced upon them.

Not even Dream.

Bad gives a final prayer to the Void for his fellow Dreamon, then turns and makes his way back into the forest. Philza by his side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nikki is huddled by her girlfriend. The crackling, snapping of the logs in the fireplace the only sounds to break the oppressive silence that had settled over her house and bakery. The members of l’mandburg (so few of them nowadays.) and other members of the server sat around her living room, curled up in the many quilts and knitted blankets strewn about, draped over couches and chairs. The moonlight was filtering through the curtains as some looked out the window as Dream built a massive wall around their town.

Puffy’s eyes showed how confused and conflicted she was about the whole situation. Her ears pinned back to her skull, her posture stiff and defeated as she ate her soup. She tried to talk to Dream after he announced he was making a wall. But he ignored her as he threw Philza’s hat down on top of Techno’s crown.

Demanding that everyone stay in town as he ‘protected them’. Karl, Connor and Quackity tried to run. But they were all thrown into Nikki’s house. Blocking the door as everyone demanded to be let out. But in the end, everyone sat and watched as Dream built the walls. Tubbo and Fundy were still free to walk around. Tubbo promised to be back with more food.

Quackity and Karl are curled into each other’s arms, talking in frightened whispers next to Connor, who’d seemed to resign himself to being a hostage; slowly sipping on the beat soup Nikki made earlier. Karl seemed to be out of sorts, but to be fair everyone was. Dream was not the same. Vomiting some black acid that burned everything it touched. His eyes as dark and empty as the obsidian he was stacking up, It faintly reminded her of another wall, one built with promise and hope. But these walls, she scooted closer to Puffy as she felt the cold in the room get to her.

Nikki felt numb. She felt no fight in her any more. She wondered if Ghostbur felt like this-

There was a scratching at the door, everyone froze, even the fire stopped its sounds. Suddenly Fundy stumbled in. Cackling like a mad man and oddly full of glee. A complete 180 from the rest of the room that he burst in a way from the seeping cold outside.

Nikki rose from her seat and reached out, her friend seems completely unhinged. “Fundy, are you ok?”

“I have been BEETER!” He cackled again, “get it Beeter? Beat soup?” he gestured to the soup to complete silence, “Ah nevermind.”

“Fundy” Puffy said hunched over her soup, giving Fundy a concerned look, “I do not think you’re ok.”

“Points to the therapist for figuring that shit out”

“Fundy, want to sit down?” Karl gestured to the other half of the empty couch, “You look like you are going to-”

“Look, I am glad the majority of you are here, saves me from running around the town like a maniac-”

“Like you were before?” Connor deadpans.

“Shut up, now you are all here. I have a plan.”

“Fundy what plan?” Quackity questioned from the couch. He was holding Karl in his lap and comforting his fiancée as he clutched onto his pocket watch. “Dream has gone completely batshit insane! And is now building walls to ‘protect us’.” the hybrid's yellow wings puffed up, “What plan do you have against that?”

“Insanity.”

“Excuse me?” Connor all but choked on his soup, taking a few minutes to cough it out of his lungs.

“Dream’s only goal right now is he only wants to ‘keep us safe’ so all we have to do is play along, and get away with things we never had before!” Fundy Exclaimed, arm waving wide as he gestured.

“What do you mean?” Niki was cautious and skeptical, she understood the stress they were all under but Fundy was acting erratically. And frankly it scared her a bit.

“Look I suffered Dream’s rambling for the past half hour to get some of his plans.” He rubbed his temples as he continued, “From what I can tell, His plan is to keep us happy in this bubble, to keep us safe and alive. The core of his plan seems like he just wants a family. When Philza ran that might have tipped him over the edge and into making the walls.” Fundy sighed again, shaking his head, “I could not get anything past that from his rambling. But! That means he will not kill us! So we can play along and get away with an escape plan until he catches on!”

“Fundy!” Nikki stood in front of the fox, forcing him to look her in the eye. “We all know that will not work! Dream is smarter than that!”

“Dream has flown the coop. There is no doubt about that to anyone here. If you do have doubt, please reconsider the whole situation you are in.”

“If we are found out, think about what else he can do to keep us ‘safe’!”

“Nikki he wants us alive and to ‘love’ him. Worst case scenario for anyone-“

“He is your lover Fundy!” She shoved a finger to his chest and made him take a step back from her outburst. “How can we trust you when your heart belongs to him?”

“This is not the Dream I vowed to love. From what I can tell he is far-far gone.” His voice cracked, and there was a pain in his eyes that made Nikki herself take a step back. Her heart broke a bit when he turned his back from the room to wipe his eyes. When he faced them again, there was a determination etched into his features. “Look, I know this seems hopeless, and it feels like it. But all we have is an act. A simple act to disguise our intentions. He thinks he has power over us, but for once, let's pull the wool over his eyes. Let's make him our puppet for as long as we can-“

Puffy stood from her chair, the sound of the wood being pushed over the floor grabbed everyone's attention, her eyes met Fundy’s. “I can not do that.” Her face held an unreadable emotion.

“Puffy, this is our one shot to fucking do SOMETHING!” Fundy all but screamed at the sheep hybrid. Shocking Nikki as she took a step back from the desperate fox. “This is not the Dream that followed you for days on end. This is a being who is willing and able to TRAP a TOWN to FORCE A FUCKING FAMILY!! WHERE HAS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE IN HISTORY?!?!”

Puffy’s eyes widened “Oh gods above……” she stood from her chair as she started pacing. What Fundy implied. Nikki did not want to think about it. She walked over to the window in shock hoping the remaining sunlight would take away the day. Then puffy gasped “Nikki, where is Tubbo?!?!

Nikki looked out the window and silently pointed out. Watching as Dream seemed to be clutching onto a scared Tubbo. The poor boy seemed to be out of it as his eyes were empty. The bread he was carrying dropped to the ground as he went limp in Dream’s arms. His horns being petted like a father would do to his child. The sight frightened Nikki to her core. Puffy gasped as he joined her by the window. They both looked out in a state of shock, their hands finding each other and holding on for a moment of grounding.

“Fundy,” Nikki turns from the window to ask one more time, “Are you sure this will work?”

Fundy just smiles and pulled out a stack of phantom membranes. “I asked, and he said ‘I am a good provider’. We can fucking do this.” Even with the impending doom they feel, everyone is possessed with some form of manic glee in how they can now get away with shit.

Quackery and Karl both smiled, “We are on board for the act! Let us be an encantador familia!”

Puffy grasped Nikki’s hand, her eyes full of determination as she watched Dream stroke Tubbo’s horns. “I am willing to ham up my mother duck roll to distract Dream to protect Tubbo.”

Connor sighs, right hand rubbing down his face before lifting his left hand in a lazy thumbs-up. “What the hell, it’s better than being stuck in here forever.”

Nikki thinks of the pain Dream has brought into her life and wants to burn him. And with her only fuel as kindness and love, she will make sure he burns to ashes and beyond. 

“Someone get me a sewing kit,” She felt her spirit return to her as hope filled her “We need to look the part to make this work.”

Fundy threw his head back and laughed, almost reminiscent of his father from a better time. “Oh I fucking love where this is going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our regular upload schedule has been changed to whenever we want. So the updates are now random!! Hope you liked this fluffy little lore dump!! Oh I CAN NOT wait to write more!!!!!


	9. Ghosts and Memories

The forest is silent, oppressively so; like the calm before the storm or anticipation before a battle. It’s as if the forest holds its breath. Waiting, watching, for a noise to shutter out. To make a sound to break the spell of silence. The soul of the forest seemed to be waiting for something to start breaking the almost unbearable tension that's spread out within the hush of the night. The instant lasts for what seems like an eternity, as if time had stopped for this place, for this time, as if nothing in the universe could crush this second-

“Friend, we can't stop here!”

-and is completely ignored by the fretful Ghostbur and his unusual blue sheep companion.

“Friend, we have got to get to Techno’s house! Then we can enjoy some grass.” Ghostbur gives a tug on Friends lead, trying to pull the sheep away from his midnight feast of red berries and back onto the trail. Well he says trail as if there’s a path. It's more patches of ground with the least amount of snow while reminding ones Ghostly self not to get distracted by shiny fish, or cool lava, or that mule that one time.

The sheep pulls back at the tug bahhing his displeasure, in something the Ghostbur feels likes translates too, ‘if you try and move me from dinner again, I will bite off one of your fingers the next time you come in for head pats.’

“You wouldn’t.” Ghostbur gasps, his outcry echoes out into the forest. Clutching both hands and lead to his chest while counting his fingers like the ram had already tried something. The fact that Ghostbur was dead and could become non-corporeal in a thought wasn’t much of a factor in the ghost considerations, if anyone could do it, it would be Friend.

The sheep shoots back a bleet that sounds suspiciously like ‘try me,’ before going back to his red berry bush.

Ghostbur sighs and just hovers over Friend as he finishes his dinner. His faded eyes start wandering through the woods as his arms are adjusted Phil’s dropped things he left behind in his messy house. Thinking that if Philza wasn’t in L’manburg he was obviously with Techno!

As he floated above, pushed around by the night chill, his fading memory of Dreams Announcement at the podium struck him with some type of unknown grief. He truly had no idea how he got into his fathers house, but he was glad he did. Looking at the hat, cloak and ankle monitor his father always wears in his arms made him smile. The idea of helping the only family he remembers by helping them with items they forgot made him giggle with happiness. Maybe this is why people always helped him with his memory! The feeling of helping was a very nice one. He decided to do it more often.

He was glad that Dream let him go find his father before he finished the new walls. Maybe he should be going slow, then Dream could get some rest. The poor man looked so sick! He did offer him some blue before he left. Hoping that the blue could help. Dream was very demanding to know where Phil was. Ghostbur replied saying he did not know, trying to calm down the admin. But Dream seemed convinced that Philza was taken by kidnappers. Letting out a scream of rage as he stormed back into l’manburg. Pulling out stacks of obsidian as he built walls. Screaming how he would protect his family. Ghostbur wanted to float over and calm Dream down, but sadly Friend pulled him back into the forest.

Ghostbur shied as he brushed off his thoughts and looked down to his fuzzy blue companion. Pondering how to get friend into moving while not interrupting his eating. He floated down until he was eye level with the sheep over the berry bush.

“Friend, we have to leave.” Ghostbur tried to explain the importance of the situation at hand.

“Philza, my father you know, might have been kidnapped! We have to tell Techno, because he can help!” Friend stares at the ghost, Bahhs what Ghostbur takes as an ‘I don’t care,’ and continues eating the berry bush.

Ghostbur huffs. Sitting up and folding his fading legs into a criss-cross position as he gently placed the hat, coat, and ankle monitor in his lap as he planned to offer the sheep some blue in recompense. Suddenly he hears some heavy steps and cracking twigs to his left. Interest peaked, he turned around. Almost immediately he is face to face with a battered right leg in a cast of bandages covering someone’s head and left arm. Looking up he gasps in happiness as he sees Techno on top of an unarmored Carl who was currently hooked up to a sled carrying barrels from what Ghostbur can faintly smell to be wine.

His brain goes fuzzy for a moment like two images overlapping each other, one trying to push the other away. Dream standing on the podium a dented crown hanging from Techno’s would be execution stand. Declaring his death to everyone around. Ghostbur could understand why he’d repressed that memory, but now he knew why he’d ended up in his father's house he’d been looking for someone to mourn with, but now he’s here alive and that horrible memory is overtaken with elation.

“Techno!” Floating up he threw his arms out as he greeted his brother, his smile would have hurt if he was still alive. His brother, his glorious brother was here! If he had a heart it would have burst from joy right then. Even Friend stopped eating as he stared at the battered piglin in surprise.

Techno sighed as he looked to his floating brother. “I don’t have the energy to pretend to like you today.”

Ghostbur let out a loud gasp, placing his palm over his long dead heart, “Techno! I expected better from you!”

“Expect nothing Wilbur, and you’ll never be disappointed!” Ghostbur giggled and smooshed their faces together. And can feel the small huff as Techno gives into the affection for a second.

“Techno, are you dead?”

There was a moment of silence, “I’m going to need you to put those few remaining brain cells together and work with me here Wilbur, Okay?”

“Okay.” Ghostbur nods enthusiastically. Letting go of Techno’s face as he locked eyes with him. Schooling his features to look focused at the words his brother was about to say. Wondering how his brother came back.

“Wilbur, does the phrase; Technoblade Never Dies! mean anything to you?”

“I guess it does, it seems to be true so far.”

Techno sighed again, pinching the bridge of his snout exasperated.“Wilbur, I am breathing in front of you. Why would you think I am dead?”

“I was told you were.”

“By whom?”

“Dream.”

“Why did you believe the green blob of a teletubby anyway?”

“He had your crown.” There was silence in the forest once again. But this time if felt like there was an ancient rage unlocked as he looked into Techno’s eyes. Wilbur felt like he knew this feeling once, but he could only remember the joy after battle. “Dream is going to die isn't he?”  
“Yes, yes he is.”

“Just for stealing your crown?”

“I think he killed, or captured, Tommy and Ranboo.”

Wilbur suddenly remembered the fear he once felt from battle. If he could breathe, his lungs would not work. The words his brother just spoke slowly beginning to fade, but the strong emotions leaving an impression behind. “Techno, can I stay with you? I do not want to go back to L’manburg with Dream in it.” Techno looked surprised as Wilbur asked. But nodded and started up the sled.

Wilbur grins and happily forgets Friends dinner time. Dragging the sheep away to follow Techno and Carl as they start a trek to the piglins new home. Friend slumping in defeat, as he watches longingly as his dinner becomes further and further away. Letting out a dramatic bahhh of ‘farewell’ and promises to avenge his short meal with some of Ghostbur’s fingers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karl stood by the window looking out onto Dream walking around with a nervous Tubbo. Dream seemed to be trying to drag Tubbo to a bench, but Tubbo was resisting as he tried to gather the fallen bread from beyond Dream’s grasp. He felt the indents on his pocket watch as he gripped it, tempted to go back in time and try to fix this. Maybe one more time shenanigan, maybe one other outcome of this time line he could try to stop. But something in him pulls him back.

He thinks back to the other timelines. He stopped the egg from getting out of hand, but at what cost? The timeline is so irreparably changed to the point he can’t tell what’s normal or what’s completely new. He is glad for his fiancé’s at least that hasn’t changed. Is that selfish of him? To prioritize his own happiness and the happiness of the people he loves over everyone else’s? He’d murdered, burned and destroyed more time lines for the happiness of those around him and for what? For Dream to go crazy and for Tommy and Techno to be dead, for Ranboo to have disappeared and is nowhere to be found and most likely dead as well? Not to mention that Ranboo had full use of his power and no one questioning about where he came from, and that was definitely different than before! The ender-hybrid even arrived at a different time, and didn't have the originals memory problems he thinks- it’s all so confusing and jumbled. Maybe if he goes back one more time to find out what was different then-

Shaking his head he brushed off the small tempting bit of hope. He couldn’t risk the egg coming back the lengths he went to destroy it was worth not travelling. This was the 89th, no 106th, 182th, wait no- how many times has he gone back and changed something? He sighed and turned back to the table where Nikki was sewing her pastel curtains and sheets into new outfits with Puffy and Connor. The table was covered in a mess of multiple pastels as she was adding pockets for extra hidden inventory and hidden weapons. Puffy was finishing up the knots to make them secure and Connor was just cutting out shapes. Karl would have smiled at the sight if he was not haunted by the whole situation.

Quackity was currently arguing with Fundy about the plan on how to escape. “Look, the only way to get rid of Dream is one thing. A cannon! All we got to do is stuff him in there and shoot him over the walls! Foolproof!”

“He built it to the block limit idiot!” Fundy waved his claws in the air as he gestured to the ceiling, “If we do somehow get him into a cannon and shoot him up, all he will do is hit the ceiling and come down pissed off!”

“He will come down flat”

“No-”

“He will be flat, and we will hit him with sticks”

“NO-”

“WE WILL HIT THE FLAT BLOB WITH STICKS FOR FREEDOM!”

“Jesus Christ.”

Puffy scoffed at the fox, earning her a glare. But she just leveled one back to him, “Come on Fundy, that is the most creative idea yet. Do you have a better idea?”

“Yes I do. We get TNT-” The fox was cut off by everyone in the room throwing something at him. “OK, OK! No TNT, got it.”

Nikki raised her hand “I have an idea.” Everyone suddenly got quiet as they looked at her, Puffy nodded her head encouraging her, “I, for one, am all down for poisoning Dream with cake! We can have a party and then kill him!” Everyone nodded in agreement. The sound of murmurs of potions started to float around the room but was cut off by Fundy as he spoke up.

“Nikki, love the plan. But it might not work because he is vomiting everything in him out currently.”

Nikki hung her head, her fingers stilled in her sewing, letting out a small, “Oh.”

“It can be plan B! It is a very nice plan B. now all we need is a plan A now. Plan A…….” he looked around the room, Karl avoided his eyes not wanting to be called on.

Connor stood up and cleared his throat, “My plan is simple. We lure Dream onto a trap door. We open the door, and we dunk him into lava. And then more lava just in case. And maybe pour lava on top of the door for good measure!”

Karl turned away as he felt his stomach turn. He walked back to the window as everyone continued to talk over lava buckets, Fundy argued his point of the possibility of an on-fire Dream being good for nobody. He turned out of the conversation as he looked out as Dream seemed to have successfully dragged Tubbo to the bench. The small pile of bread being blown about in the wind somewhat as the duo seemed to be having a one-sided conversation in the moon lit courtyard. It would have been a lovely sight if Tubbo didn’t look to be scared out of his wits and Dream was not dripping the acid-like black substance with every word. Karl felt his hands pull at his hair as he focused on the black acid. Has Dream ever done this before? This situation has never happened before! He has lived through hundreds if not thousands of timelines of this exact moment and this has never come up before!

Has it? Could he even remember something similar happening? Is he forgetting?

Alex must sense his growing panic because before he can work himself into a proper breakdown his fiancés arms wrap around Karl’s stomach, pulling him back from the window and held gently in Quackity’s embrace. Karl turns around and hugs him back; hoping beyond all hope that his time travelling was worth it all, burying his face into Quackity’s neck and breathing in his scent.

‘How many times have I watched you die?’ Karl’s fingers tighten into the blue fabric of Alex’s shirt. ‘How many times did I watch that egg hollow you out till nothing was left?’

“Please.” He whispers- begs to the gods? To the universe? To time itself? It doesn’t matter, because he can’t do this again; he can’t lose them again.

“Shhh-“ Quackity soothes, a hand circling his back in calming motions, the other placed comfortingly in Karl’s hair. “-shhh mi amor, it’ll be ok. Sapnap’s away from here, he’ll be fine, will be fine. We’ve got a plan and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to fire Dream outta the canon Yeet the green teletubby into the sky.”

Karl can’t help the quiet chuckle the comes through his crying, it isn’t the funniest of jokes he’s heard; far from it. But it’s just absurd enough to pierce the fog of his panic. Quackity notices and latches on to this brief moment of levity. “Yep straight to the atmosphere, what is he going to do then huh? Stab space?”

Fuck this is so stupid, but Karl can’t stop laughing his tears forgotten in the hiccuping giggles of Alex’s plan to launch Dream into space. Gods he loves this man so much.

He laughs with his fiancé, quiet giggles settling Karl enough that he’s able to pull back from Alex’s arms, whipping his eyes free of tears and to check over his new fancy clothes for wrinkles. Quackity straightens his crumpled collar as Karl pulls at the bottom of his shirt before brushes over the fabric a few times for invisible dust. Karl sniffs a second before letting out the tension held in his shoulders with a long sigh, meeting Alex’s eyes with a small smile, reaching his hand out to tuck some strands of fallen hair back behind his ear.

“I love you.” Karl says without reservations, without pause or fear. So many universes he never got to tell Alex he loved him, so if this is it? He’ll let him know to the end of their time together.

Quackity blushes, the blunt showing of affection making him uncharacteristically bashful, his lips quirking upward into a grin as well.“That’s pretty gay.” Karl snorts and lets his hand trail down to settle on Alex’s cheek. “Luckily for you I’m only homie-sexual.” The response has Quackity breaking into chuckles as well and Karl counts that as a win.

The silence settles around them warm and comforting. But it was soon broken by Fundy’s shriek of frustration. “WE HAVE PLAN B THROUGH P! WE NEED PLAN A! WE NEED A PLAN A! ONE PLAN THAT MIGHT GIVE US A CHANCE-”

“Digging a hole would be the best bet for our freedom.” Karl said turn towards everyone, he hears Quackity make a noise as he registered his lovers' plan. The attention in the room suddenly focused on him as Fundy stalked over with a tired look on his face.

“Karl, can you please explain?”

“From what I can tell, Dream did not build the wall down to the block limit underground. All we need to do is distract him from placing or finishing the wall up top and starting on the bottom, with hope we can dig a tunnel deep and long enough to get out far-far away.”

There was a moment of shocked silence as everyone thought over the plan explained to them. Fundy smiled and his ears perked up as hope sparked in his eyes. “Oh Karl I could kiss you-”

“SHOO BITCH!” Quackity hisses.

“Oh shut it!” Fundy turned to the rest of the group, the feeling of hope suddenly becoming apparent. “Guys, we have plan A! We dig and distract! We start tomorrow! EVERYONE, let us act,” he held his fist in the air and bellowed into the air, “FOR OUR FREEDOM”

Cheers were heard throughout the room, Karl smiled at the energy. Momentarily forgetting about his previous thoughts. He leaned into his lover and glanced outside. And his breath caught in his lungs at what he saw.

“Hey Fundy, can we start plan A now?” He pointed out the window to the sight of Dream choking Tubbo in a hug. Fundy walked over and his eyes widened. He ran to the door and stopped in front of it. Taking a breath as he adjusted his hat and his new jacket of light yellows and other pastels as he steadied himself for the scam of his life. He then threw open the door and strode out with a feral grin on his face.

“It’s showtime baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy V-Day everyone!! I hope you all love this valentine for your day! Me and Sun worked overtime to get this to ya! Added a bit more lore here and there. but also, i just wanted to push along the side plots we have going on. I hope you all enjoy!


	10. Poison Grief

“Are you sure I am doing the right thing Ranboo?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Positive?”

“Positive.”

Ranboo Looked on as Tommy clumsily introduced himself to the gathering endermen in sign. As soon as the endermen realized what Tommy was doing, the poor teen was almost swamped by overjoyed Endermen. Teaching Tommy Ender-sign was time-consuming, and even frustrating sometimes. But he was sure it will be worth it in the end. It was easy to translate every little thing for Tommy, but it would be a great skill for Tommy to have in moments they could not speak. Plus, the endermen could speak directly to him and not through him all the time.

Endermen pop out and frantically and joyfully, waving their hands around in wild motions to communicate and inform Tommy about themselves and the world he had been accepted into. Tommy was slowly doing his best to comunacate and understand. But what caught Ranboo's eye was a small group of endermen frantically signing things.

+Human+Received+Dragon-Breath+Terrifying+Obsidian-Dome+Built+Enderfriend-Homeland+Help+

Ranboo only understood the first half of the motions. He grasped Tommy’s shoulder and gently pushed him to the side ignoring his squawks of indignation. Shining back, Ranboo started asking for more information and watched as he tuned out Tommy.

“Ranboo! What is with you pushing me back?” Stomping his heel he crossed his arms and started to grumble, “I was practising that by your instruction for the last hour! And then you push me aside as you do the same thing-”

“Tommy,” Ranboo cut his grumbling off with an excited look, “I have news of the overworld.”

A feral grin grew on Tommy’s face, “Spill bitch.”

“2 bits of news, one Philza got the Dragon's-Breath in Techno’s stead.” Tommy’s grin fell a bit but nodded his head silently for him to continue. “And I think L’manburg got new walls! An obsidian dome the endermen are telling me. And they are telling me that a lot, does L’amanburg need walls-” his words trailed off as he saw Tommy’s face pale as the last bit of news seemed to be the worst bit of news.

“Where is your mother?.” Tommy panics and starts pacing around the room, some endermen tries giving him blocks of dirt to calm him down. But Tommy ignores them as he looks to Ranboo for his answer.

“I think in the library-” Ranboo suddenly found himself yanked out of the room as Tommy storms through the hall to Clara's library. The prince has to run to keep up with Tommy’s frantic pace. As soon as kicks open the doors with Ranboo’s wrist still in his hand, the silence of the library is shattered and Clara looks up smiling as she reached for some hairpins. His Mama seemed to be expecting her 2 children to burst in sooner or later. But her smile falls as she sees Tommy’s face.

Pushing aside her paperwork and hairpins, she stands and holds out her arms “Tommy, what is wro-”

“I DEMAND to go back to the overworld”

“What? Tomm-”

“I need to save the town from a fucking Dreamon.” His mom chokes on air the moment she hears his declaration. then panics she orders the servants to leave. 

There was s sudden commotion about her study, no ender man or servants left in attendance for all of them fled following her order. Ranboo wanted to follow them, but something held him back. He felt like he needed to listen to what his Mama said.

Tommy took a breath and let Ranboo go as he started his explanation, “Ranboo informed me that there is a dome of obsidian around L’amanburg. The only beings that have been known to make a dome-like structure of obsidian in the last 50 years is a fucking Dreamon”

“Are you sure they did not decide to build their own walls in obsidian?”

“We would have before, but we are all wary of the idea of being surrounded in that block. It is a taboo to build walls with it. 

“Is it taboo to build obsidian walls?”

“I may have not lived through my fathers war, but we still are haunted by the stories of it. Dreamon surrounding villages in obsidian before wiping the town off the face of the realm…… My father lived through the war and told me and my brothers what they did. In my mind, it is not the best thing to create on a whim.”

Clara closed her eyes and took a breath before she nodded her head, “I remember…”

“Look, I just wish to go back and demolish the possible dome and the help Dream with the possibility of a Dreamon on the loose-”

“Dream is not your friend Tommy” Ranboo felt the air in the room still as Tommy froze. Anxiety was not a new and inexperienced emotion for him. But it was hard to ignore At that moment. It gnawed on his brain like a particularly horrible tick. The conversation about to happen was the perfect thing for the yawning abyss of panic waiting to swallow Ranboo whole, something he would run from as long as he could. but something made him stay.

Tommy finally broke the silence with a broken, “What?”

“You need to understand.” Clara began, Ranboo fiddling with his fingers anxious as she explained. Tommy slouched into a plush armchair, still unsettled from Clara’s declaration. “Ranboo used a poison to stop the hunter you call Dream right before you both escape. It would have killed anyone else immediately, but it didn’t for Dream. Instead, he still came after Ranboo, and you, the only thing that can survive that long with that particular poison is a dreamon.”

“So, Dream is the Dreamon then?”

“Yes.”

“Huh,” Tommy seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, but his eyes showed his shock very plainly.

“If he wanted to hide better, he would have changed his name a bit more. Not a very smart being he is” Ranboo giggles but was silenced by a glare from his mother as Tommy stood and started to pace continuing his mumbling, “And I thought the name Dream was odd, thought he just named himself after a rare and horrid being just to scare others in a low-key way.”

Clara nodded at Tommy’s statement and continued, “The reason that Dreamons are so rare is that Dreamons and Dragons both fought each other in a war that managed to kill a good portion of each other off. We thought the fight would be over soon, but we forgot how dedicated they were to any cause. The dreamons as a whole were winning, mainly because they were finding new limits of respawn magic-”

“Why would they do that?” Tommy spits in fury. Ranboo looked on as his Mama’s head snapped and locked eyes with the teen. Her eyes had a faraway look at them as Tommy continued to rant “Respawn magic is dangerous to mess with in the first place! Why even try to mess with it?”

“They wanted to cheat death and live forever.” Her voice was shaky but firm. “Dreamons are afraid of one thing and one thing only: anything out of their control. And that includes death”

Tommy scoffed and crossed his arms, looking out the window, “Cowards they are”

“Cowards with a determination like no other. In an act of desperation, we created the poison in secret. We were able to make about 12 vials, only one was left at the end of the war. Now there are none.” she locked eyes, and Ranboo looked away in guilt. As she continued her lecture. “It was our greatest creation and greatest shame. The poison was made as a chemical weapon specifically to target Dreamons. To any normal being, the magic simply kills them but to a Dreamon it slowly eats away at their mind and overloads their magic driving them to manic and delusion. Forcing the Dreamons to experience mental instability to the point if you saw one with the symptoms, it was best to leave them alone. It was the last-ditch effort we had to hope in for survival.”

Ranboo felt some air return to his lungs as he asked, “It was that bad for them?”

His Mama nodded her head as she closed her eyes, “If I remember correctly, dreamons usually have almost full control over their emotions, so suddenly being swamped with them can cause fits of rage, possessiveness and paranoia. Put a few drops of the poison into the opposing forces water supply and they turn on each other, we didn’t even have to lift a finger and for the ones that survived the slaughter; the poison if left untreated can kill the Dreamon in a month if the Dreamon can keep their wits and use magic to slow the corruption to about 3 to 4 months before death. Or complete loss of mind. Whatever came first.”

“That is, extremely brutal.” Ranboo looked over to Tommy and tried to decipher the look on his face. It was completely unreadable to him. His eyes seemed to be haunted as he spoke, “Even for a war, that is a horrific creation.”

“It was. I am not lying to Tommy when I say this, but the cost of war rises with the stakes. And we deemed that our survival was more important.”

“Your survival? What about theirs?” Tommy turned from the window as he stormed in front of Clara. His face had rage in its outlines as he yelled, “You admitted to wiping out a race of beings from their homeland! And for what?”

“Our lives.”

“Your lives for theirs?”

“Do you want to know the reason for the war Tommy? Do you truly want to know what almost led to this realm to become barren of life?” Her voice never raises, but Ranboo can still deep the intensity of the weight in every syllable.

“Barren of life?” Ranboo’s ears pinned down to his skull, as if trying to block out the words his Mama was saying. He lifted up his hands as he tried to calm everyone down, “Mama that sounds a bit harsh-“

“Life was the reason for the war. If the Dreamons won, they could have wiped everyone out.”

Tommy scoffed and looked at the Queen, “Are you sure they were the bad guys?”

Clara let put a puff of icy breath as she folded her hands in front of her. Ranboo took a small step back on instinct, his mouth clamping shut in fear as his Mama’s tone of voice. “Let me put it from a new perspective for you Tommy.” 

Locking eyes with the human she explained further, “It is known knowledge in all realms that a bond of love can pull another back from death if the other is living. Leading to some people ageing slowly and dying at the same time when their time comes.”

“Yeah, and?”

“The Dreamons were discovered to be kidnapping, experimenting and killing dragons and endermen. To experiment how far respawn magic could go. Using dragons as test subjects, Clans were wiped out nearly overnight for the shellfish cause. The Dreamons were determined to cheat death. And get their answers, they were willing to do anything. The temptation of the corrupted magic lead them to evolve to the point of almost becoming one with magic in the worst way possible.” She sighed and closed her eyes as she calmly retold what she lived through this horrible history, “The worst possible thing was that they seemed to force this magic on to their allies first. If you were declared a friend to the Dreamons, you had to run. It was discovered that they were able to suck the life out of any familial bond. One single known bond of love or family to them and you had a target on your back by those life hungry beings. And the mobs of endermen they manage to brainwash.”

“Shite.” Tommy cursed.

“It’s true every word I've spoken.”

“Must have been hell in the end.”

“It was chaos in the last days. Both sides were tired, but nobody wanted to forgive one another. Soon the war slowed when our numbers became low. But the fighting became brutal. Soon the last battalion I led cornered the final 29 Dreamons, we cornered them above a portal. A few jumped surprisingly, but the others refused to jump in. So I flew in and pulled them into the overworld with 2 other dragons. I came back by a miracle, I pray my fellow dragons are living happy lives.”

“How did you get back if the others did not?”

“I found a man who studied the end and all the relics in the overworld. He helped me to get back. He even forgave me when it was revealed I had tricked him in the end.” She had a small smile on her face as she whispered, “He was a good man.”

Ranboo felt the moment of solace fill the room, his Mama only mentioned the man a few times before. Referring to him as her lost love, but never had he made the connection that he was the one to help his Mama get home. He looked at Tommy and was shocked at the shocked face his friend had. 

Ranboo felt the silence overwhelm him, he felt the words leave his mouth before he could stop them, “Are there any Dreamons left in the overworld mama?”

“From what I remember, the Dreamons left in the overworld have mostly died out. I pray every night that they will not return to their homeland. The dragons are still recovering to this day and thankfully the Dreamons are considered memory to most. But I know there are still a few out there from the time I spent in the overworld. They almost killed me and I'm sure they killed my Beloved…..”

Tommy stiffened as he watched a tear fall from her eye. Closing them as she hung her head. Leaning forward Ranboo gently grasped her hand in his hand and squeezed her shaking fist. “It is alright, it is all over now, you won and the realm is alive.”

Mama nodded her head at his words and then slowly looked to Tommy, she whispered words shocking Ranboo to his core, “You look so much like him.”

“Who?”

“My Beloved.” She slowly walked forward and cupped her hands on his cheeks with reverence as she gazed into Tommy’s face with eyes glazed over in memory, “Oh Gods you look so much like him.”

Clara clutches Tommy to her a while trapped in her memories. She starts to hyperventilate and ramble, “I can’t let you go back to the overworld. He'll kill you or make you one of his puppets.” Tommy tries to get out of her grasp. But Ranboo knew well how impossible that is. He looks on as Tommy tries to argue his point to his Mama.

“He’ll kill everyone else if we don’t! I can’t let my friends-my family die.” Tommy begged trying to get her to see reason. To see, maybe they could make a difference, whatever small.

“They will die anyways. If you go, you’ll just die with them.” Tommy finally stilled and went limp as he let out huffing breaths as his own. “I can’t save them but I can keep you and Ranboo safe here, please understand I’m doing this so you’ll live.”

Ranboo just looks on, helpless to help his mother consumed by her grief. He walked forward and reached out to his mama again. But then suddenly was swept up in her wings as he joined her desperate embrace. He felt a heavyweight in his gut as he saw before his eyes were his mama’s glowing hands, her icy magic filled his senses as his mind became numb. Her rambling of their safety and Tommy's slowing breaths and tired struggling was the only thing he heard before his body decided it was time for sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE HAVE THE LORE! I REPEAT!! WE GOT THE LORE!!
> 
> Me and Sun have worked so hard to make a plot and story that works in the realm of the SMP and I do hope this lore and story we have created for you all is as exciting for you all to read as it is for us to tell!


	11. Showtime

Fundy strode forward into the limited sunset seeping into the town from the dome. It has only been 2 days of playing doll house for Dream. And Fundy was regretting ever opening his mouth in his phase of manic glee and desperation.

Fundy walks by Dream and is promptly pulled into a hug by the other. The man smells of corroding flesh and sickly sweet rot, it makes his sensitive nose burn, and he wanted to recoil from the embrace but Fundy sticks through the torture, counting the seconds before Dream finally releases him.

“You love me.” It isn’t a question, it’s a statement. As if by saying it Dream can make it true, Fundy answers anyway.

“Always.” 

Dream gives him a toothy smile, the black acid corroding at his enamel turning his teeth yellow before dissolving them entirely, only for the teeth to grow back sharper each time.

It is disgusting and takes every ounce of self-control he has left not to gag. He laughs to hold back a whimper and pats Dream on their clasped hands before making some excuse for needing to help with dinner preparations. But first made Fundy promise to get everyone around for dinner tonight. With a smile, Fundy agrees and forces himself to walk away calmly. The urge to sprint away almost overwhelming him.

“Fundy!” Looking around, he saw Nikki merrily walking to him with a basket of baked goods. Her pastel pink dress looked like something out of a fairy tale. Her grin almost seemed real as she got closer. “I brought you something! I noticed you don’t get a lot to eat.” She motioned to an ally. Fundy nodded his head and turned his back to the scene behind him. No longer wanting to act for another moment more. 

“How is the tunnel?”

“Quackity and Karl are nearly breaking their back to get the tunnel deep enough to get under the wall. Dream built at least 50 blocks deeper than we thought.” She sighed as worry showed. Fundy felt his heart drop. If the wall was that deep, how long would they live in this snowglobe, a family for Dream? A week? 1 month? Years? His breath slowed as his heartbeat against his ribs. Nikki ignored his inner turmoil as she reached into her basket as “Conner left about 3 hours ago to get some rest. He worked from sunset this morning. I have not seen him since. Could you check on him?”

Fundy cracked a smile, intent to fall back on some light jokes as he snatched the package of sweets from Nikki, “Dear damsel in distress needs help?”

Nikki’s facade fell as her eyes hardened, “I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m a damsel doing damage.” As she moved her pastel pink gown, Fundy heard faint clinking noises. He looked down at the hem of lace and saw the tips of diamond shovels hidden in the folds. Fundy looked back up to her and was slightly unnerved at the look on her face. He could not place the emotion he saw, but he knew he felt it once before. 

Nodding his head he replied, “Never trust a man whose smile steals the light right from your family.” pocketing the package for later, he paused and then informed Nikki, “Dream is setting the table for dinner tonight, he wants everyone there.”

“But the tunnel-”

“Look, be there, or he WILL find you. Get Karl and Quackady out of the tunnel before he finds it looking for you all. I will take the morning shift tonight and dig down if Dream leaves me alone.” Nikki nodded and left without a word. Her shovels clinked like jewels as she made her way to her bakery. Where the tunnel opening was hidden behind an employee’s only door.

Fundy spent the next hour wandering around the town trying to find Connor. Hoping the poor man was not caught up by Dream. The man needed rest at this point.

It was in this searching that he heard a noise from his own home, the clanking of bottles to be precise. His interest peaked, he went in and found Connor, sitting out his kitchen table drinking his rum supply.

Oh fuck him. 

Fundy quickly walked over, snatching the bottle from the hedgehog-hybrids fingers,“ I was saving those for later you shithead.”

Connor merely looked at him bleary-eyed and certainly unrepentant, before fumbling for another bottle. Bringing the cork to his teeth and pulling it out like the degenerate he was, before taking another swig.

Fundy goes over the pros and cons of just slapping drunk into unconsciousness. Before his eyes settle back over the rum in his own hands.

The fox shrugs instead and brings his own bottle to his lips. “Fuck it.” And settles in next to the hedgehog.

It’s a few minutes more of silent sipping on Fundy’s part and full-on gulping on Connors before the hedgehog-hybrid breaks the silence.

“How are you not fucking  _ terrified  _ right now?” 

Fundy shrugged at Conner’s question, “Compared to the family get-togethers I’m forced to attend twice a year, this is actually rather tame.”

Connor snorted, head thumping into his arms as let out a slurred command. “Carry me to dinner.”

“What.”

“CARRY ME!”

“Where did this come from?”

“I am drunk and can’t walk.”

“I can see that-”

“CARRY ME!”

Fundy sighed as he gave up on logic, dropping his still mostly full bottle as he picked up Connor bridal style and started carrying him out the door. Deciding it would be better to play along than argue. Now thinking about it, that is how they all got into this situation. 

The hedgehog hybrid still had his drink in his hand, and happily waved it around as he was carried to the new dinner table in the square. The podium still in place, just the table built half-hazerdly around it. Conner started announcing to everyone as they got closer, “We’re here! And we’re -”

“Very sober!” Fundy felt like he needed to stop the man from speaking any further. “Very sober and happy to be at the table beloved!” He threw Connor to a chair as he made his way near Dream. Hoping his presence would distract his attention from everyone else.

Dream sat at the head of the table seemingly unfazed as he vomited the black acid on the newly built table. Puffy and Tubbo seemed to be ignoring Dream as they did everything at the other end of the table in a desperate manner. The food seemed to be simple chicken soup and rolls. Fundy had no doubt that it would taste like ash on his tongue. Nikki sat down daintily, the dirt mixed in her sweat shone like diamonds around her face and hands. Quackity and Karl had the same crown upon their foreheads. There was a jukebox built in the middle of the table playing the tune of Cat. 

Everyone was smiling as Dream looked on in a dead-eyed way. When he turned and noticed Fundy, his smile was seen from the remains of his broken mask. 

At that moment Fundy heard a pop, turning his head he saw an endermen standing on the table. And in that same moment Dream let out a war cry. Summoning an axe and slicing at it. The enderman cried out and Dream froze. Time seemed to still as he dropped his axe and lept up to the mob. His hands clasping its skull. A white glow blinded Fundy and when he could see again, his breath left him.

The enderman had eyes as white as snow. White tears flowed from its sockets. Its jaw hung open as green particles replaced the normal purple. Its movements were clunky as it followed Dream back to his seat. It looked dead but only alive by another’s will. Its feet dragging on the table was the only sound in the air with the melody of Cat.

Fundy looked around the table. Trying to find something to ground him. But he seemed to find his own eyes staring back at him. 

Connor broke the silence. His words were slurred by his drink or fear, “Why did you do that Dream?”

Dream gave Connor a lazy smile,  “I love you all.” 

“And that makes it okay?”  Fundy snaps. Maybe he drank more than was appropriate and the rum had begun settling in his blood, but the horror of the act he witnessed struck his core. Crumbling the foundations of his facade as he felt done with everything.

“Fundy what-”

“I don’t matter to you,” Fundy hissed, everyone fell silent as they listened to what he was saying. Cat was still playing as he continued to scream at Dream. “We do not matter to you. So stop pretending we all do. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to fall for that? Do you think I am as naive as a child to believe someone like you would care for someone like me?” Fundy scoffed.

“Fundy are you ok?” Dream slowly stood, “Do you need somethin-”

“Do not fucking insult me.”

“I’m not-”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe otherwise.” The look Fundy turned on him was flat and cold as glass. “You’re lying to yourself too.”

“Why would I lie to you all?” Dream’s voice seemed confused and broken. Fundy felt a small crack of pity to the being. He seemed so gone to the point he seemed to fully believe the act of family the whole town was playing. “I love you all! I just want to protect you!”

“How far gone are you? Can’t you see how fucked up this is?” Fundy stood his ground as Dream lunged over the table to him. Keeping his eyes locked as he continued to spill his guts out, Cat still playing “Dream do you even know what love feels like? I am not happy-”

Dream’s right-hand snaps out too fast to see much less stop, clutching Fundy’s face, forcing his mouth closed, efficiently cutting off his ranting. His struggles pulling, biting, punching do nothing to remove the fingers like steel bars digging into his cheek. 

He’s reminded of nights spent staring into Dream’s emerald eyes, soft touches while tracing the scars and nicks along his nose, over his cheeks and forehead; memorizing each other’s flaws and imperfections. But Dream's hand is not gentle and the eyes he stares into now are black-empty, like the space between stars.

“You’ll be happy.” And if Fundy hadn’t been so close, couldn’t pick out the individual pores on Dream’s nose; he wouldn’t have heard the whisper.

His nails pointed-sharp, dig into Fundy’s skin, and he can’t help but let out a whimper in pain. “You’ll all be happy.” Dream coo’s again, left hand running through Fundy’s copper locks. It sends a shiver of disgust down his spine and Fundy doesn’t care if his struggles to do nothing but bruise his knuckles on the wall that is Dream's body. He hits harder, tries to get his teeth around one of Dream's fingers, and bite till they snap.

It’s useless, but he refuses to stop.

Dream leans in, the fingers of his left hand running over the shell of Fundy’s ear; a smile splitting his face. The admins' cheeks ripped open, the same black swimming in the man’s eyes dripping down his chin in drooling strands, sizzling as they hit the wood of the floor of the podium.

“And will- we will all be one big happy family.” He reels Fundy’s struggling body into something like an embrace, right hand slipping from around his jaw, sliding back to cup the base of his skull. Chin resting on his shoulder, the greasy black fluid spilling from the gaping gash of Dreams maw corrodes where it lands on Fundy’s new coat. Everyone at the table looked on, the fake happy mood fell away to terror-filled reality. The enderman still and white by dream’s discarded chair. The music’s final notes faded slowly as Dream’s declaration burned his core.

“Together, forever.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sapnap’s feet hurt. No scratch that his entire body feels like a horse on a full gallop had run over each and every one of his muscles, then back over him again to make sure he was good and dead.

But his feet are probably the worst seeing as he’s been running almost non-stop for the past hour. And the only sleep he and George had the last few days was only 3 hours this afternoon. And it was some restless sleep, so he was a dead man running for the last four days, and the sneakers he’s wearing were made for light jogs sparing not rigorous harsh pace he’s kept up so far, they're getting to the point of falling apart which isn’t such a surprise.

It also isn’t a surprise that blisters have started to form. Sores that make every step feel like walking barefoot on shattered glass, but he can’t complain and can't even stop to re-rap the bandages he managed to slap on once he and George managed to get some rest. Stopping meant their pursuers who could gain even a step more advantage and every mile of distance between them and their pursuers was a mile of freedom he wasn’t willing to give up.

Hearing a thump behind him, he turned to check if the pursuers were following. But skidded to a stop when he saw George layed prone on the ground. There was a layer of grime now mixed in his sweat. Snapnap ran back and knelt down and picked up George covered in mud and dirt. He cursed, it was George’s shift to watch out for Ponk and Punz last rest. He should have known he stayed up longer than agreed. To be fair, they have been running and hiding for the past 4 days straight.

George peered up at him and huffed.  “I suppose I’ll have to add the force of gravity to my list of enemies.” 

Snapnap cracked a small smile as he looked over his friend for any injuries. “Want to rest a bit?”

“Just a minute please.”

Nodding he helped George against a tree. Watching with a small smile as he quickly fell asleep. He let himself rest for a moment as well, but was still wary of their surroundings. Not letting himself rest like George.

In a brief second of hope, he pulled out his communicator. They’ve recently lost contact with those inside L’manburg. More than likely the dome cut off all forms of communications. He tried to contact his fiancés many times. But the messages did not send. Letting out a breath, he put a lid on the panic as he tried again.

_ Sapnap whispers to Quackity - Hey Quackster, how are you?  _

_ =MASSAGE FAILED TO SEND= _

_ Sapnap whispers to Karl - Karl, it is me Snapnap, are you ok? _

_ =MESSAGE FAILED TO SEND= _

After a moment of hesitation, he tried another contact.

_ Sapnap whispers to BadBoyHalo - dad I could use some help please. _

_ =MESSAGE FAILED TO SEND=  _

It wasn’t working as well, Sapnap’s dad always had his communicator on so it being blocked as well? Probably wasn’t good.

With a defeated sigh, He heaved his passed-out companion on his shoulders as he continued to run. Hefting George around trying to get the man comfortable as he tried his best to not freak the fuck out for his current situation in life.

After stopping to catch his breath, and setting a somewhat awake grumbling George back down, Sapnap takes a moment to collect water from a creek before freezing, blood running cold.

He heard a noise in the forest.

Footsteps.

There's the faint ‘twang’ of a bowstring and an arrow comes shooting out almost impaling George’s leg. 

Sapnap throws the almost full water bottle into the trees, grabs George, and bolts.

“Well, there goes the fucking plan.” The blaze hybrid screams trying to make a fireball to throw, but spreading sparks instead the past day of constant fire use tapping him dry.

“Wait, we had a _ plan?”  _ George yells back, dropping off of Sapnaps’ shoulder as he dogged another arrow zooming past, spinning and beginning to sprint right next to him.

“OH NOW YOU ARE AWAKE!”

Ponk and Punz dropped from the trees with a thump. Their eyes were crying a white glowing substance, their mouths had had the same sludge drooling out of their mouths. After a moment’s pause, they lunged after the pair. Grinning in manic glee as they ran out of the woods weapons in hand. Snapnap could see that they are just a dirty and dishevelled as he and George are. But seemed less affected by it. Less tired in a way.

They flee with renewed vigor. Running through the forest with Ponk and Punz not far behind.

“What do they want?” George yells at him, “Are we going to be dragged back to Dream?”

“We have two options George.” Sapnap yelled back “We are either going to be forced into his happy family or turned into brainwashed slaves.”

“Why don’t we try to go back? Reason with him, get him to see sense! it's Dream-”

“George, we have no good options here, you saw what try to reason did to those too.” he doesn't want to say it's hopeless, but Sapnaps never was one for lying.

“Do we have any options left?” 

“No.”

George looked to him, and then focused on the trees in front of them. It dawned on Sapnap, this might be the end for them. Sapnap is never one to resigned himself to anything, much less death, but the hopelessness creeps in and his body exhausted and there’s nothing he can do-

That is till his communicator pings, the sharp buzz of the whisper being received.

_ Eret whispers to you- need a hand? _

_ Sapnap whispers to Eret- FUCK YES _

_ Eret whispers to you- run to my castle. _

“George! We got a third option!”

“What?”

Turning and yelling behind him, he explained, “Just run to Erets’ castle!” George followed him. Both of them had some hope in their chest as the thought of freedom kept them running.

There on the edges of the king’s land the black obsidian dome of L’manburg looming in the distance. And Sapnap prayed Eret was actually trying to help and not just another one of Dreams' pawns.

It’s a few more second of running and the blaze hybrid can practically feel Ponks fingers brush the back of his shirt when he finally hears something other then gasping breaths and the mad chuckles of two hunters behind them.

“DUCK!”

Sapnap and George hit the dirt just in time as there’s a blinding flash of light as runes carved into the trees surrounding them send a wave of magic crashing through the forest, striking Ponk and Punz both screeching at the forest before they are flung away. 

It’s a moment of silence, the only sound of Sapnap’s harsh breathing as the world clarifies from the blinding light.

And standing before them in their royal regalia is none other than Eret, arm outstretched in an offer to help the two up.

“Sorry that took so long, had to set up those runes and make sure everything was perfect one shot at this and all, you would not believe the amount of magic it takes to fight against Dreamon corruption.”

Sapnap lets out a shaky laugh in reply, shock taking over long enough for his brain to acknowledge that he’s safe, before his body finally gives out and he collapses into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this being a week late! I had college exams and Sun was on the beach drinking from a coconut. And then when we got together to write, we had to take 3 days to mourn Tommyinit.
> 
> so safe to say, our schedule was off for a bit. but now we are back!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you https://blackholesun321.tumblr.com/ for beta reading and helping me write this. 
> 
> more chapters will come out soon, i do hope you enjoyed the read! stay tuned for more!


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